


Chasing Shadows

by Soulfire72



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2020-07-17 21:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 84,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19963735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulfire72/pseuds/Soulfire72
Summary: After Toothless and Hiccup's reunion after many years, the vikings and dragons lay a new foundation for their future generations. However, their lives are uprooted when Hiccup discovers a new lead on the long abandoned missing Night Furies. Hiccup and Toothless embark on one last mission, knowing they will be risking much for what may be only a sliver of hope.





	1. Commitments

**A/N**

**If you had told me a few years ago that I would writing a fanfiction for the How to Train Your Dragon I would have simply frowned in confusion. All three films are excellent, but there was always something in each film that really bothered me as a dragon fan – namely the way the dragon deaths were handled, and the dragons in general being treated like domesticated animals rather than people. And then Hidden World happen, and it is one of my favourite films of all time and feels like it addresses all my previous gripes with the franchise. There was only one loose end, however... hence this story.**

**If it’s not already obvious, SPOILERS for the ending of the Hidden World.**

**Update: Yes I'm aware of the Holiday special, and to be honest I could have reworked this first chapter to take place after it. Honestly though I have other projects I need to be working on, so I haven't updated the first chapter in this way. Feel free to rework the events of this chapter in your head if you want.**

**... Seriously they weren't satisfied with that near perfect ending already? Ugh.**

* * *

The glistening tuna flopped against the smooth rocks, managing to free a recently-embedded metal hook from its mouth, but could feel a pair of hungry blue eyes with cat-like slits watching its every move.

The moment it flung itself into the air, the eyes dashed forward – a dark, scaly creature hopping after the fish with near unlimited energy, but it slipped and growled in annoyance several times as it tried to keep pace.

The little dragon managed to pin the fish by its tail just before the water’s edge. It unsheathed its teeth and leaned forward, but its paw was slapped by a finned tail at the last second.

The hatchling faced its attacker, baring its teeth with a high pitched growl. The other hatchling, also with dark scales, blinked mischievously and wagged its tail.

The fish was blocked from the water by the two, and immediately sprung in the opposite direction. The two hatchlings immediately forgot their quarrel and pounced after it together, making no effort to avoid each other in doing so and slipping over each other again and again.

After a minute of chasing the fish over the rock formation, a large white paw slapped down on the fish’s body. The larger, white dragoness kept her paw pressed firmly on the fish as the baby dragons approached. She narrowed her eyes warningly as they neared, as it was now time to eat, not to play. The two black dragon hatchlings reluctantly stayed back, but their tails continued to sway playfully as they watched the tuna’s movements slow until it finally stopped moving.

A third hatchling, similar in colouring to her mother, emerged from behind her mother’s foreleg and eyed the tuna hungrily, unsheathing her teeth and swiftly taking a bite out of the fish’s abdomen. Her brothers cried in dismay and dashed forward for their own share. Once the hatchlings were preoccupied, their mother retracted her paw and sat back, still watching the water’s edge warily. Dragons of the whole world were concentrated here, after all; and she’d encountered enough water dragons to know they weren’t completely safe here, despite her mate’s position as alpha.

‘You want one for yourself?’

She looked over at the source of the voice, spotting another family sitting by the water’s edge. A young viking, with thick brown hair, beard and kindly eyes, was sitting at the water’s edge. He was dressed in a fur cloak and leather armor, sitting with a fishing rod cast out, his metal prosthetic leg tapping the rock every now and then.

There was another tuna dangling from the line now. Hiccup flicked the fish up a couple of times to catch her attention. She blinked and slowly shook her head, and Hiccup frowned a little with concern.

‘You sure? I don’t catch such a big tuna every – ’

A wide, black head suddenly shot out of the water, closing around the fish and pulling the fishing line down for a second before the fish was pulled off the hook. The severance of tension in the line sent Hiccup sprawling backwards.

‘Gah! Toothless! Warn me before pulling something like that!’

Collective laughs rang out beside him as the Night Fury surfaced, seemingly ignoring his complaints as Toothless systematically devoured the fish, which was too large to swallow even for him. Zephyr and Nuffink watched Toothless for a while, but Astrid quickly helped her husband sit up.

‘It was easy prey, Hiccup. What’d you expect? They have to feed themselves now.’

Hiccup scowled sulkily at the Night Fury.

‘I expect some warning! That water’s cold! Plus there’s my leg…’

She slapped his fur collar playfully. ‘Oh, stop whining.’

Astrid looked at Toothless as well, disgust quickly setting in at all the fishy parts spread throughout the water.

‘Ugh! Didn’t’ – she paused for a second as she glanced at the Light Fury – ‘ _she_ teach you any manners?’

Toothless answered with a guttural belch.

‘Wild dragons don’t need that.’

She gave Hiccup a quick frown, and he grimaced before leaning towards his children.

‘Kids…Don’t… learn from that. Please.’

Nuffink nodded obediently, but Zephyr’s attention was still focused on the hatchlings, her bright blue eyes still following their movements.

‘Zephyr? Did you hear me?’

‘Yeah, yeah, dad… can I play with the Night Lights?’

Hiccup and Astrid shared a troubled glance. Nuffink lowered his head and touched his index fingers together timidly.

‘I’d… like to too? Please?’

‘You guys already flew with them! Not enough for you?’

The two kids looked back up at their father longingly.

‘But I want to pet them!’ Zephyr cooed as she balled her fists, shaking her head so her brown pigtails swayed back and forth. ‘They’re sooo cute!’

The Light Fury watched the kids warily as they kept shooting the hatchling enthusiastic glances.

‘Maybe we shouldn’t push it that far, you two,’ Hiccup explained, ‘it might take some time for,’ he grimaced as he exchanged a look with the Light Fury, ‘ _her_ to get used to humans. Plus, if you guys all get too attached to each other, well… you know…’

Astrid put her hands on her hips as she studied the Light Fury. ‘We need to name her. This is getting ridiculous.’

‘I know, right?’

Hiccup and Astrid both looked to Toothless as he slid out of the water, groaning and shielding their faces from the torrent of drops as he shook his head fiercely. Zephyr simply laughed as she let the water hit her face, while Nuffink followed his parents’ example in smiling. Hiccup cleared his throat loudly, and Toothless gazed at him curiously.

‘Toothless, can we name her?’

The Night Fury looked at his mate quickly, who lifted her wings lightly in a shrug. Toothless looked back at the humans and nodded slowly.

Zephyr’s hand shot in the air. ‘Ooh! Can I pick?’

Astrid smiled cheekily. ‘Maybe. What did you have in mind?’

‘Hm, uh... Blue... Eyes... White Dragon?’

Hiccup and Nuffink burst out with a short laugh, and even Toothless couldn’t help widening his jaw with amusement.

‘Zephyr…?’ Nuffink began, brushing his blonde locks out of his eyes, ‘that’s what she looks like. That’s not a name. Didn’t you know about all the dragon names Mom and Dad’s friends came up with?’

Zephyr puffed her cheeks, heating up slightly with embarrassment. ‘Well then, did you have a better one?’

‘Y-yes, actually. How about…’ he paused nervously, ‘Silvergleam?’

Astrid raised an eyebrow. ‘Not bad. But she’s white, not silver.’

‘Whitegleam?’

‘Better…’

Hiccup watched her knowingly. ‘Stop teasing them, Astrid. You had a name from the start, didn’t you?’

‘Yes… how about Moondust?’

Nuffink blinked his green eyes thoughtfully. ‘That’s pretty good, Mom.’

Zephyr harrumphed and folded her arms. ‘I still think my name was better.’

Hiccup nodded at Astrid in agreement. ‘That’s good. Didn’t want to try this time.’

‘What? You’re not just agreeing with me because I’m your wife?’

Hiccup chuckled as he tipped his head to the Light Fury. ‘No, because it’s the only name she didn’t growl at.’

Toothless seemed happy too. She squealed for a moment as he licked the back of her head.

‘Toothless! Jeez…’ She turned and felt her gold braid, wet with a layer of dragon saliva. ‘That’s not coming out any time soon.’

Moondust blinked for a moment at Astrid, before returning her attention to the hatchlings. Astrid smiled as she studied the dragon.

‘Wow. So much for gratitude, huh?’

Hiccup shrugged. ‘You get used to it.’

‘I shouldn’t! If it wasn’t for me, we’d be calling her a “Bright Fury”.’

She held a knowing smile on Hiccup for several seconds. Zephyr and Nuffink looked between them with confusion, smiling and laughing together in Hiccup’s general direction.

‘Ouch! Low blow, Astrid.’

They shared another laugh and Astrid sat down beside him. The Night Lights came over slowly, Moondust still watching over them vigilantly. Zephyr squealed with delight, but Astrid put her arm around her daughter; firmly but gently.

‘Let them come to us. Don’t scare them off.’

Zephyr nodded reluctantly, her and Nuffink sitting next to each while the Night Lights sniffed at them. The white hatchling came up to Nuffink first, and copying his meeting with Toothless, Nuffink held his hand out. The Night Light sniffed for a few more seconds before gently licking his hand.

As the infants mingled with each other, Toothless and Moondust glanced at the sky warily. Hiccup and Astrid did the same, noting the sun’s position.

Astrid looked at her husband somewhat sadly. ‘So… what now?’

Hiccup lowered his head. ‘I… don’t know. We didn’t exactly plan for this trip well. We’ve barely got anything in the boat.’ He looked over at the moored sailing boat, secured to the rocky show with a rope, tied around the largest and tallest rock they could find. ‘No tent, just enough to fish for a while, and some furs and blankets for the journey. We can’t actually go _on foot_ to the Hidden World, since our reception last time wasn’t so hot. Not to mention Zephyr and Nuffink’s safety.’

The kids turned to them with crestfallen gazes. ‘Wait, you mean we can’t walk in there?’ Nuffink murmured with disappointment, ‘even after coming all this way?’

‘We did see what we could while riding Toothless and Stormfly, remember?’

Zephyr and Nuffink lowered their gazes, and Zephyr poked at the ground sadly. ‘It’s not the same. We barely went in!’

Astrid sighed, leaned over and ruffled their hair. ‘Maybe when you two are older. Even your father and I were only able to get in the first cave before we were…’ She and Toothless exchanged an awkward look, ‘thrown out.’

‘It’s not really a place for humans,’ Hiccup clarified with an edge of melancholy. ‘Anyway, I think the only thing we can do now is think about going back.’

Zephyr and Nuffink responded with a collective and load “aww”. Hiccup and Astrid had prepared them for the possibility that they might not have even been welcomed, though, so they followed Astrid to the boat to start checking their supplies. The Night Lights cooed sadly as they watched them go. Hiccup sighed and exhaled heavily, smiling as best he could at his best friend.

‘Toothless… I don’t want this to be the last time. I know we shouldn’t stay here, but… we were hoping if you and your family would come and visit New Berk. You know how much they love dragons, after all. Now that you have kids, I’m pretty sure Mom and Fishlegs will want to know how they are.’

Toothless’ eyes glistened for a moment, and he closed his eyes to incline his head slowly. Hiccup rubbed his scalp gently.

‘I know. It depends on them, doesn’t it?’ He looked over at Moondust hopefully. ‘Well? How about it, Moondust?’

Moondust’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked away uncomfortably. Hiccup frowned regretfully; he knew it was a lot to ask of her, and the whole family, but… he didn’t want humans and dragons living apart forever.

‘Dad, have you asked them?’

Zephyr seemed to have caught on, and Nuffink was close behind.

‘Please tell me she said yes!’

Moondust narrowed her eyes dejectedly, and Hiccup rubbed the back of his head.

‘She hasn’t really answered yet.’

Zephyr and Nuffink exchanged a look before nodding to each other. Moondust widened her eyes as the two human children ran up to her, cupping their hands together and pulling the saddest expression possible.

‘Moondust? Pleaaase?!’

The Light Fury ruffled her wings uncomfortably, even backing up a step. Hiccup couldn’t help but grin at the sight. Zephyr and Nuffink didn’t relent, and after nearly a minute, she lowered her head in defeat and cooed lowly.

Zephyr and Nuffink stood for a moment, puzzled, but Toothless bounded to her enthusiastically to lick her forehead, and they smiled at the answer.

‘So...’ Astrid called as she came back over. ‘How are we going to do this? Everything’s packed, but the trip here took a couple of days. We should be okay with the extra fish you caught, Hiccup, but...’ She glanced at the dragons longingly.

As if reading her mind, Zephyr went up to her father.

‘Dad, why can’t we just fly back?’

Hiccup frowned as he twisted his lip. ‘We could, but we would lose a good boat. Besides, some trade barges are due in to New Berk soon, and I don’t want to risk them being exposed to people before it’s time.’

Zephyr folded her arms and grumbled. ‘You keep saying that ‘time’ is coming. I don’t understand why more people can’t know about the dragons if you brought me and Nuffink.’

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a tired, but fond smile, before Hiccup ruffled her hair. ‘You’re too young to be this impatient. I can trust you two because you’re my children.’

Zephyr didn’t look convinced, but was called away by Astrid waving to her and Nuffink to join her in the boat. Hiccup returned his attention to Toothless one last time.

‘Speaking of those barges, Toothless, you should probably hold off from visiting for at least a week. Gobber was in the middle of a salvage operation too, but they should be finished by then. Uh...’ He scratched his head. ‘Do you have a way to keep track of time here?’

Toothless looked at him flatly for a moment before tilting his head up at the setting sun, then pawing at the ground sequentially.

‘You can count days, right? So you can handle waiting a week?’

Toothless’ jaw widened enthusiastically, hastily pushing his forehead into Hiccup’s soldier, who put his around the dragon’s neck and rubbed his scalp. He spared one last look at Moondust and the hatchlings, who were watching intently.

‘Well... we’re off. I hope we’ll see you soon. And,’ he and Toothless looked into each other’s eyes, ‘I’m glad you didn’t eat me.’

Toothless responded by gripping him in a sloppy dragon-hug. Hiccup laughed but managed to push him off before he fell over... or suffocated.

‘Yeah, it was good to see you too.’ He leaned forward rested his head on Toothless’ scaly forehead. ‘We’ll see each other again soon, OK?’

When he finally pried himself away, he raised his eyebrows in surprise as Moondust and the hatchlings came up to him. He smiled as he raised his hand slowly, and she closed her eyes as he touched her forehead too. He reluctantly began to back away, finally turning to join his family.

Astrid untied the boat, her and Hiccup pushing off before she took position at the tiller. As the slight breeze filled the sails and the boat picked up speed, the families on either side watched the other fade into the fog, but not before Hiccup and his children waved their goodbyes.

Zephyr and Nuffink couldn’t help but sigh sadly as the dragons faded from view, but couldn’t help smiling with anticipation of their next meeting.

‘Dragons...’ Nuffink murmured wistfully, ‘are pretty great, aren’t they Dad?’

‘Yes... yes they are.’

* * *

Astrid and Hiccup prioritised letting their kids sleep under the thick sheets they brought with them, taking turns maintaining their course back home. Thankfully, once they’d cleared the fog, the ocean was calm and clear, and at the end of the first day they could already see land in the distance. Once they were close enough to recognise their home, Zephyr and Nuffink could no longer sleep, keeping their stares either on the speck of land or on the one manning the tiller to make sure _they_ didn’t fall asleep.

It was early evening as they closed in on the lower bank. At the sight of their boat, a horn sounded from the upper cliffs, and the family heard distant cheers as Hiccup spotted groups of Vikings preparing for their arrival, though honestly they needn’t have bothered. In fact, since he was the last one steering, he’d rather everyone just go about their business and let him sleep. Heavily.

He sighed, knowing his tribe all too well, and that was not going to happen. He moored the boat alongside one of the piers extending from the beach, tying the boat at both sides carefully to the nearest wooden posts. Zephyr and Nuffink cheered and ran forward to the fenced platform nearby, connected to columns built into the side of the cliff. A series of ropes, gears and pulleys lined the platforms edge and were covered with a sturdy layer of wood, and the lift was one of the first structures the tribe constructed as fishing was, like Berk, the best source of food.

Hiccup opened the wooden gate to let everyone in, while Astrid flipped the bottom lever as the whole family stood on the platform. Despite the high fences around them, Hiccup never felt completely comfortable having his kids ride the lift, given how deep any potential fall could be. Nuffink stayed within safe boundaries, but Astrid made sure Zephyr never got too close to the edge.

He and Astrid grimaced and waved as most of village awaited them at the top and cheered again.

‘The Chief’s back!’ A familiar voice boomed from the back. ‘Let’s show some support, eh?’

‘Gobber...’

Astrid and Hiccup quickly gave him somewhat tired smiles as they made their way through the crowd, Zephyr and Nuffink making it easy for them as they ran towards the elder, moustached Viking eagerly. He chuckled and knelt on his good leg, cradling the two swiftly into his arms, taking care to point his hook away.

‘And how are my brave explorers? I assume you two did all the work while yer parents were along for the ride?’

‘Um... Uncle Gobber?’ Nuffink questioned, ‘that’s exactly the opposite of what happened.’

Zephyr and Gobber exchanged an annoyed glance with one another, Gobber ruffling the boy’s hair. After the many Vikings finally got what they needed, they began heading back to their work around the village.

‘Anything for them to eat?’ Astrid asked the old viking. ‘We ran out of rations a few hours ago, so I imagine those two will be pretty hungry by now.’

‘Well...’ Gobber tapped his thick chin, ‘Ruffnut and Tuffnut were roasting some pork not long ago, along with a pot of stew at their hut. I suppose you could join them?’

‘Thanks for the tip.’ Astrid took Zephyr and Nuffink one in each hand, and hurried off towards the hut silhouetted against the setting sun on an upwards path.

Hiccup’s stomach rumbled and he took a step forward, but Gobber cleared his throat sharply.

‘Excuse me chief? I have a couple o’ things to report...’

Hiccup grumbled as he faced his old mentor. ‘Look, Gobber, I’ve just spent the last six hours manning the boat, with no food or rest. I want to eat and sleep. And you promised that between you, Eret and Valka, you’d be able to hold things down “no problem”. So... is there a problem?’

‘No!’ Gobber held up his hook placatively. ‘Things have gone swimmingly! Although now that ye mention it... there is one wee little problem.’

Hiccup sighed tiredly. ‘Let’s hear it...’

‘Fishlegs!’ Gobber exclaimed with sudden panic. ‘He’s been driving me nuts! Ever since you left he’s been whining about not being able to go! ‘But I wanna see Meatlug” this, ‘Why do the kids get to go” that. Well I’m _real_ thankful that yer back now, so I can foist him on you with his yapping!’

‘Didn’t I warn you that might happen?’ Hiccup managed a fond smile. He blinked then looked around. ‘So where is he?’

‘Well, around lunchtime, I got so fed up with that boy that I practically begged Snotlout to take him on a hunting trip... and a long one at that!’ Gobber pointed his hook north towards the wilderness’ edge. ‘I asked them not to go far, though. I know Fishlegs was never the best tracker or hunter, and I wouldn’t normally Snotlout to take him anywhere... but I was desperate.’

Hiccup was glancing tiredly in the direction of the roasted pork. ‘Mhm...’

Gobber twisted his lip gruffly. ‘Right. I guess I’m not going to get much more out of you now. Fine. Eat! Then sleep. Then I’ll talk to you more. Don’t forget to see yer mother when ye wake up, too.’

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders as he took off after the others. ‘Yeah, yeah, I got it...’

* * *

Hiccup nowadays had a “quick in, quick out” policy when it came to the twins. They still spent a ridiculous amount of time together despite their continued bickering from when they were younger, and Hiccup did not want his kids picking up on such habits. Thankfully Zephyr and Nuffink were always perturbed by the pair and after a while Hiccup and Astrid were able to relax, since arguments between the two youngsters seemed to actually reduce after exposure to the ridiculousness of the twins.

Since Astrid had been sleeping during Hiccup’s time on the tiller, she was more than happy to regale the details of their trip (minus how and where they actually went) while the rest of the family retired to their own hut. It was the most lavishly decorated and sturdy building in the village, halfway between the village centre and the beginning of the nearby forest. Hiccup preferred peace and quiet if possible, and knew all too well how noisy their celebrations could get, and so had the house positioned close enough for the villagers to be accessible but tucked away from too much exposure to noise and attention.

They encountered Eret along the way, who was gathering firewood. After exchanging their greetings, the former trapper advised Valka was out gathering herbs and mushrooms for the medical stores, and would be back before dark.

Hiccup was surprised and thankful when his kids looked at their beds, and unceremoniously dumped themselves into the fur covers and fell asleep within a minute. He smiled and yawned at the same time as he watched from the doorway, stumbling a bit as he headed for his own room and flopped onto his double bed, aiming for the section where the furs were thickest. He lazily slid off his thick cuirass and settled his tunic underneath as he drifted off.

* * *

‘Hiiiiccup. Hiiiicup.’

He grumbled, reaching instinctively for the nearest cover and pulled it over his head. The voice, and the not so gentle shaking of his shoulder, continued unabated.

‘Come on! You’re going to miss dinner at this rate. And then you’ll be up all night!’ Astrid huffed to herself as she sat back. ‘Valka’s waiting, too.’

Hiccup groaned as he listened and sat up, and by the sound of it Valka was recounting some of her stories about dragons to Nuffink while somehow keeping Zephyr quiet.

_Probably something to do with her pigtail buns._

‘I should probably see if Mom needs rescuing...’

Astrid gave a slight scoff and smacked his shoulder, the two sharing a playful grin, before Hiccup dragged himself off the bed, pulling on some thicker clothes before heading through the front door.

The children and their grandmother sat next to an unused fireplace, with Valka and Zephyr sitting on a wooden stump and smooth rock respectively, while Nuffink sat in the grass, staring up at his grandmother with rapt attention.

‘–and you would not guess how long it took Hiccup to find it! Oh the laughs we had as he hopped around... though Toothless did eventually help us find it when your father got too worn out.’

Hiccup stood folding his arms, but he’d heard this story enough times out of earshot that the initial semblance of embarrassment no longer affected him. He still wondered why Nuffink didn’t get tired of hearing it, though.

His grandmother’s bright green eyes flicked over to him, her smiling in Nuffink’s direction. ‘Well, speak of the devil...’

‘Thanks for regaling tales of the great chief of Berk.’ He rolled his eyes as he joined his son’s side, ignoring the cheeky grin the boy was giving him.

‘Oh, a mother can’t help herself.’ Valka was able to thread the braids through her granddaughter’s nearly effortlessly while keeping her gaze focused on them. ‘That’s something to look forward to from Astrid, Nuffink... just so you know, so be prepared.’

It was Hiccup’s turn to grin at his son, who now looked horrified. He quickly got up, eyes darting towards the house in alarm.

‘Uh... I need to... check my things...’

Valka watched her grandson go curiously. ‘Zephyr dear, would you happen to know what he’s talking about?’

Zephyr waited for Valka to release her grip a little as she shook her head. ‘No. He gets really mad when I go near those books under his bed. Not that I would want to read that boring stuff, anyway.’

Hiccup and Valka shared a glance, Valka’s with approval, Hiccup grinning in such a way to say “don’t encourage her”.

‘Well, you _can_ be well behaved.’ Valka finalised a knot and flicked one of the pigtails with satisfaction. ‘All done! Now off you go. Your mother needs your help with some chores.’

‘Aww...’ Zephyr turned around to face her grandmother. ‘Can’t I stay and listen to more stories?’

Valka chuckled to herself. ‘I’m afraid I’ve exhausted the stories that are non-fiction. And I’m not _that_ old to repeat myself. Besides, your father and I have things to discuss. Which I’m afraid you would find quite boring, trust me.’

If she was anyone else, Hiccup knew that Zephyr would take that as an invitation to prove them wrong. But Valka, like dragons, had a way with getting his kids to accept her words of wisdom when the time called for it. The girl left with a quick “bye Dad!” before heading inside.

‘So...’ Valka turned and planted her feet on the ground as she gazed at her son. ‘Tell me everything.’

And so Hiccup recounted the events of their trip... and attempted to skip his own jumping the gun at bringing so few supplies, but Valka’s grin widened at that point, and he knew he was found out. Her smile faltered slightly when he mentioned the Night Lights, but it quickly vanished as he finished.

‘I see... it’s good to hear they’re making things work so well. I’m not sure if I told you, but I’m so proud of you both. And it sounds like Toothless and his family are right where they belong.’

Hiccup frowned a little. ‘I knew that from when I first saw him and her deeper in the caves... though that was hard for me to accept.’

Valka nodded slowly. ‘You didn’t happen to see Cloudjumper, did you?’

Hiccup shook his head regretfully. ‘No, we saw Stormfly but we didn’t have much time to explore the place, and the Hidden World... Mom, I swear that could run throughout the entire world for all we knew. And we couldn’t risk getting lost down there without supplies or shelter. Again... my bad. I was half expecting Toothless to not let us in at all.’

‘What about other Night Furies?’

Hiccup raised his eyebrows slightly at Valka’s sudden shift in tone, but he knew how she felt, deep down.

‘No... Again, for the same reasons. But I think if there were any there, they would at least be hanging around Toothless, since he’s the highest in their own chain of command. Now that I think about it... it’s very strange.’ He thought back to what little he had on the Hidden World from Stoick, but amassed to only general references and nothing specific about it internally. ‘If the Hidden World really is the place where all dragons come from, then why wouldn’t Night Furies live there? It’s pretty obvious that it’s still untouched by humans.’

Valka nodded as she followed his reasoning. ‘Perhaps... some dragons, like Vikings, have adventurous spirits, and were not content to live out their days underground... even if that underground would be paradise for their kind.’ Her expression fell. ‘A spirit that cost them their lives...’

Hiccup frowned empathetically for a moment, before Valka inhaled quickly and smiled again. ‘Well, knowing that Toothless has his own family now means there’s hope for them now. I shouldn’t worry so much... and I should start taking things easier. These bones aren’t as sprightly as they used to be.’

Hiccup noted how much of hair had greyed in the last few years, but didn’t really notice her slowing down by much at all. Though she didn’t get up to the same gymnastic feats when she was with Cloudjumper.

‘I think you’re doing really well for your age, Mom. I still think you do more than your fair share of work around here.’

‘Well, I could say the same of you. Let’s both keep trying our best, hm?’ She blinked to herself as she stood up. ‘Speaking of which, I recall Gobber looking for you earlier...’

‘Oh, I know.’ Hiccup grunted tiredly. ‘But what can you tell me about it?’

‘Why don’t you ask him yourself?’

‘Because he might wrap the information up in a lecture. At least you would make the process faster.’

‘You have a point...’ She shrugged. ‘Well, from what Eret told me, we’ve been able to pull up some of the wreckages of the Dragon Trapper boats, and managed to haul the most important pieces back for salvage. The raw materials, like the metal and wax, would be very useful to us out here.’

Hiccup nodded. ‘True. But I got the feeling Gobber found more than just that. You guys could handle that kind of thing without me.’

Valka inclined her head. ‘True... but Gobber hadn’t shared anything else. I think they are still finishing up the salvaging. Perhaps he found something that could be important to you specifically, and doesn’t know what to do with it.’

‘I guess.’ Hiccup grunted and reluctantly stood up. ‘I suppose I shouldn’t keep him waiting on something like that. Where is he now?’

‘At the southwest dock. I’m not sure how urgent it is, but Gobber seemed... troubled, when he last brought it up with me. That was a couple of days ago.’

Hiccup couldn’t but be slightly intrigued. There wasn’t much since the Hobgobblers that would actually unsettle the old viking.

‘Right... I’ll be on my way. Before I go... do you think you could organise something for Toothless and his family? Obviously we’re not going to build a roosting tower, but someplace comfortable for them to live during their visit would be a good first step.’

Valka smiled widely. ‘Of course! You needn’t ask, but I’ll try and have something ready by the time they... hopefully get here.’ She looked at him quizzically. ‘Are you sure they’re coming?’

‘Toothless sure seemed excited, so I don’t see why not. Unless Moondust somehow talks him out of it, but I’m still hopeful. It only takes a few hours for them to fly here, after all.’

* * *

Hiccup took in the full view of the docks and the workers milling about the piers as he descended down the lift. The southwest dock was the largest one built into the shore, and was where most fishing operations were conducted from. While their early fishing was usually conducted with smaller boats lowered from the upper cliffs, over time the operations were fully realised once they were able to access the beaches below. Access to this dock was slightly better than all the others as they were able to carve a relatively safe path from the forested highlands down a Cliffside, though that took a few years considering their limited digging tools. That’s what made trade with other settlement by ship was so important.

It wasn’t hard to spot Gobber on the way down. The old viking seemed to be partially preoccupied as he inspected crates of fish, as well as double checking the moored boats’ condition where he could. He stopped as soon as he spotted Hiccup approaching, waving him over to the north side of the dock. Hiccup narrowed his eyes curiously as he spotted the longship tied alongside the farthest pier.

The ship in question was obviously not theirs, for it was ruined nearly beyond repair. Its mast was clearly broken off and missing, as well as the rudder, and there were several holes in the upper deck and the edges, but somehow the holes stopped at the water level, keeping the ship miraculously floating. Though given how tightly it was bound with secure fastening and stone weights, it may not have been able to float on its own.

Hiccup groaned inwardly as Gobber stared at the vessel apprehensively, as the old viking’s shoulders stiffened when they drew closer.

‘Relax, Gobber, it’s not going to bite.’ He gave the ship another look over, and it was in no way worth salvaging to make it seaworthy. The wood had mostly rotted through, from what he saw. ‘So this was what you wanted me to see?’

‘Yes, lad... and no.’ Gobber eyed his chief guardedly. ‘To be honest, I would have rather left this vessel alone, but your instructions are to use every resource we can. Even if it means claiming the dead’s spoils...’

Hiccup sighed. ‘Look, I never said to literally go poking through graves or corpses. Not that there have been any. But we need all the raw materials we can get. And some of the cargo from those trappers’ ships has been essential to getting this whole fishing thing up and running.’

Gobber grumbled slightly as he glanced away. ‘Still, I’m getting a strange vibe from this one. Almost as if it’s haunted. Hiccup, if you would approve, I’ll have it put back to where we found it. Or just left to rot on the sea floor.’

Hiccup frowned swiftly. ‘That sounds like an awful waste. It looks like it was a cargo ship, why wouldn’t we search like all the others?’

‘Apart from me hunch, lad?’ Gobber pointed his hook at the crumbling deck. ‘It may not even be safe to go in.’

‘Well, we’re not going to demolish it from the outside.’ Hiccup studied the ropes and weights attached. ‘Where exactly did you find this?’

‘Some of the scouting boys found a hidden cove to the east. It took pretty much the whole time you were gone to drag it out of there.’

Hiccup raised an eyebrow quizzically. ‘And you never noticed this cove in the years we’ve had boats?’

‘We’ve had to use our boats sparingly until now. You know how much the things cost to repair… or rebuild. Plus we haven’t had boats big enough and enough spare hands to row the thing out.’

Hiccup nodded slowly. ‘OK. I’m going in, then.’

‘What? You sure about that? I mean there are plenty of capable lads and lasses...’

Hiccup shook his head. ‘If it’s dangerous, then I will go. You’re instincts have been right enough times for me to take some precautions.’ Hiccup looked at Gobber firmly. ‘We should have people standing by, and I should be tied, in case the thing starts to sink when I go in.’

Gobber returned his gaze thoughtfully as he nodded. ‘Aye. But if that’s the case, I’ll go with you, lad.’

Hiccup grinned uncomfortably. ‘That’s going to, uh... mean it’s more likely to sink. You sure?’

‘Aye, lad. I won’t let our chief be lost to some haunted ship!’

Hiccup groaned. ‘Here we go again...’

Within a few minutes, Gobber had gotten Eret and Tuffnut, along with a couple of other Vikings, to stand by holding the rope, also tied to one of the weights, as Hiccup and Gobber dropped a plank carefully to the longship’s ruined deck. They strapped on light strap-on packs as they stepped onto the deck. As Hiccup guessed, Gobber almost immediately snapped a wooden beam as he landed, but Hiccup was quick to steady him.

_Check the cargo, get out. Then maybe we secure the thing as much as we can if anything heavy’s worth picking up._

They quickly descended below deck, finding the floor beams unsteady, and often missing, forcing them to careful step over scaffolding. Hiccup wrinkled his nose; the strong scent of salt water, rotten wood, and something else... was becoming obvious.

Unfortunately, what little they did find mostly consisted of light weapons and ammunition, which had either rusted or rotted through, just like the ship. And yet that still didn’t account for the smell.

Gobber soon twitched his moustache with displeasure, and Hiccup frowned as he suddenly seemed paler.

‘That’s flesh, lad. Dead flesh.’ He reached out to grab Hiccup’s arm. ‘Stoick’s beard, we should get out of here.’

‘Then we came this way for nothing,’ Hiccup shifted his shoulder slightly, and Gobber let go. ‘Let’s at least see what it is.’

Gobber was silent for a moment. ‘Fine. But let me go first.’

Hiccup pursed his lip. ‘...If you say so. Be careful where you step.’

He let Gobber pass, taking care not to tangle their ropes. The next sections was walled off, with a door that had long since detached from its hinges fallen to the side. Gobber sidled sideways through the door, and yelped as soon as he passed through the doorway.

‘What?’ Hiccup exclaimed with concern as Gobber covered his eyes with one hand. ‘What is it? Say something! Is it dangerous?’

‘A body, lad. All bones...’

Hiccup nodded to himself. ‘Well, that explains the smell.’ He waited for a few seconds, but Gobber didn’t move.

‘Are you gonna make some space? I want to see it, since I’m guessing you have no intention of touching it.’

‘You would be right, lad.’ Gobber reluctantly went in further as Hiccup entered the hold area.

He stared as he followed rays of light down to the hunched body. The corpse – or rather, skeleton – was picked clean of all flesh. However the outfit remained mostly intact, thick leather coated the upper body with the long woollen coat, all a faded brown. And it still clutched a rusted crossbow in one bony hand.

‘Grimmel...’ He whispered coldly. ‘There’s no mistaking it.’

Gobber kept his distance as Hiccup approached cautiously, his expression now grim.

‘W-wait, lad. You’re not seriously thinking about going through that... thing?’

‘I’d normally be conflicted about going through a corpse...’ Hiccup began, ‘but he’s an exception.’

‘Oh, I would strongly advise against that, lad...’

Hiccup knelt to take a closer look, turning his head back at Gobber. ‘Look, I know it’s not simple, but we’re supposed to be the Vikings to guard the Hidden World, and preserve and pass on all knowledge of dragons. Even if I don’t like where it came from, this might be one of the best reasons to salvage from the dead, as this affects all future generations of Vikings and dragons. Do you understand, Gobber?’

Gobber nodded slowly, but grimaced fearfully as he looked at the skeleton one last time. ‘Right... well, I’ll just be waiting outside the door... be quick, Hiccup. The longer I stay here, the more it feels like we’re sinking.’

Hiccup nodded in agreement. As important as it might be, the smell, not to mention being in Grimmel’s presence again, was all too off putting.

He searched all the pockets, quickly finding some remaining vials of the Deathgripper venom. He took one, doubtful that it would still be potent after all this time. He also found some normal bolts, but those were rusted, as expected. Anything else in the first pockets was too withered to be of any use.

However, there was a heavier pack concealed on the skeleton’s waist. Hiccup studied what little was visible; in the light it glinted slightly, and he recognised the sheen of dragon scales, in contrast to the worn leather it was attached to.

Queasily, he grabbed what he could and carefully used a knife to cut the pack free from the leather. As he pulled it out slowly, the skeleton twisted sideways as he pulled it free, and he felt his inside squirm as the skull’s jaw fell slightly in a hollow, dead expression.

Unlike its source, the package smelled rather clean. Hiccup’s stomach twisted for a moment as it was rather obvious how Grimmel would have obtained the dragon hide. Though it seemed to be bluish-green, possibly from a tidal species like a Thunderdrum or Tide Glider.

The material would hold up well even after ten years in a wet, moist environment like a tidal cave. If Hiccup’s suspicions were correct, Grimmel would have kept some valuable items in the pouch. He turned the pouch over a couple of times, found the lid flap, and attempted to pry it open, but it was sealed shut. He would need sharp tools to get in there, but at least that meant the items inside were probably well preserved.

Hiccup took the crossbow last, placing the pouch and whatever else he could into his own bags, passing the remaining items to Gobber. The old viking hesitated as Hiccup held out the vials, relenting when Hiccup frowned impatiently.

Hiccup and Gobber tugged their ropes gently, and the Vikings on the other side began to haul them in. Gobber took the lead on the way out, with an impressive pace now that they were leaving the destitute vessel behind. Hiccup almost tripped a couple of times in the holes they had left before, leaving a great deal more this time around.

They emerged into the light before long, and Gobber sighed heavily, as if some unspoken curse had just been lifted. He yelped as the boat dropped beneath his feet suddenly – he and Hiccup falling forward onto their faces – but they got up quickly as Eret and Tuffnut pulled on their ropes firmly. Thankfully the boat didn’t sink any further than that, but Hiccup and Gobber took no chances and scrambled onto the deck, removing their rope ties as soon as possible.

Tuffnut grinned and slapped Hiccup’s shoulder lightly. ‘So, oh brave leader, you find anything? Please tell me you found some new weapons. Or some new armour. My helmet, you see, keeps tilting to the side...’

Hiccup shook his head quickly. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, but anything like that was pretty much rusted up. There were arrows too, put they’re all pretty much useless.’

Tuffnut frowned suspiciously. ‘Well, you obviously found _something_. So spill it already!’

Eret examined Gobber with concern. ‘Could it be a threat? Is it dangerous?’

Hiccup and Gobber exchanged a look, before Gobber twiddled his moustache.

‘It’s hard to say, Eret. We had to steal from a corpse to get what we wanted… bad omen, I tell you…’

‘Skeleton,’ Hiccup insisted firmly. ‘Oh, and Grimmel’s.’

Tuffnut’s jaw dropped and jumped enough that his helmet fell off, the other Vikings having a similar reaction, but Eret folded his arms, looking somewhat relieved.

‘Even if that’s a bad omen, its good news for us,’ Eret said, ‘I was always uneasy that we never found his body. Though even I’m surprised he survived a fall like that long enough to get into a ship.’

Hiccup glanced at the crossbow sticking out of Gobber’s bag. ‘Must have broken the surface tension before hitting the water. Or maybe his suit had some hidden backup if he ever dropped from that flying machine of his.’

The former trapper nodded. ‘What kind of position was he in?’

Gobber grimaced uncomfortably. ‘Is that really important right now, Eret?’

Eret glanced at him curiously. ‘I’m just trying to get an idea of what he could have done before he died. And how. Can’t be too careful. Even after ten years, this land holds many secrets.’

Hiccup thought back to the skeleton. It was mostly covered in the leather outfit, but he did recall the legs were contorted at strange angles.

‘He might have broken his legs, given the way the skeleton was sitting. I guess after that he died of thirst or starved to death.’ Hiccup frowned to himself coldly. ‘Good riddance.’

The other Vikings fell silent for a moment as they exchanged concerned glances.

‘Hiccup… er, chief…’ Tuffnut began, ‘don’t take this the wrong way, but are you OK? You don’t seem yourself.’

Hiccup raised his eyebrows. ‘I guess… just being reminded of Grimmel at all brings up bitter memories. I’m glad to know he’s really dead, but… I’d rather just forget he ever existed.’

Gobber took another uneasy look at the sinking boat. ‘Does that mean we can cast this adrift? I’d like to pretend this boat never existed too, and that we didn’t rob the dead and brought the wrath of–‘

Hiccup shook his head. ‘I want to get this dragon-scale casing open first. We didn’t search much further than the skeleton, and I don’t want it sunk if something inside it might have been lost within that ship.’

Gobber tightened his moustache and pursed his lips. ‘There was basically no way we could have gone any further. You might not have noticed, but there’s naught but internal scaffolding after that. We woulda sunk ourselves in there.’

Hiccup dug the case out from his pack and took a closer look, letting the others do the same. ‘Well, I guess I better get started.’ He looked around at the small group. ‘Anyone got a knife? Or something sharp?’

Eret pulled out a hunting knife from his belt, flipping it through the air. Tuffnut let out a high-pitched “Gah!” before Hiccup snatched it out of the air, shooting the trapper with a disapproving gaze.

‘Show off.’

The Vikings waited with bated breath as Hiccup stuck the knife into the edges and tried to pry the case open, but the scales were too sturdy and slippery for him to get the correct angle. He persisted for an entire minute before Tuffnut groaned and snatched the case and knife from him.

‘Here, allow me… oh so powerful chief.’ He snickered at Hiccup’s annoyed frown before probing every inch of the case with an almost maniacal glint in his eye. Hiccup began to grown concerned as the blade was beginning to stick in places.

‘Careful, Tuffnut… the materials inside could be fragile.’

‘Don’t rush me, Hiccup!’ Tuffnut objected roughly. ‘This takes real concentration!’

‘Um… did you even listen to what I said?’

‘Still CONCENTRATING.’

Hiccup sighed and fell silent. Tuffnut stuck his tongue out to the side instinctively as he poked and prodded at the sealed lid, and after another minute everyone fell silent when the knife pierced the seal, internal pressure being released.

Tuffnut held the knife carefully, waiting for Hiccup’s next command. Hiccup held his breath for a moment as he examined the thin opening, the knife halfway through.

‘OK... now _carefully_ cut through the rest of the lid. Try not to stick the knife in further than necessary.’

Thankfully, with the seal broken, it only took several seconds for Tuffnut to free the flap completely. There were not shredded materials on the knife’s end, so whatever was inside was undamaged. Eret raised his eyebrows in surprise.

‘Huh... not bad, Tuffnut.’

Tuffnut grinned and flipped the knife back at the trapper, though the motion was far less graceful than he predicted, landing in the ground at his feet. He groaned to pick it up dejectedly, though Tuffnut didn’t seem to notice.

‘Well, Hiccup, you want someone good with sharp objects and precision, you know who to call!’

Hiccup smiled awkwardly. ‘Sure... Tuffnut.’

Gobber sent everyone off to their daily work except Eret, and the three of them contemplated what to do with the pack as they distanced themselves from the workforce.

‘I’m thinking...’ Hiccup resisted the urge to shove his hand into the bag, ‘that I take this somewhere safer. I’m also not sure it’s a good idea to have the entire village breathing down my neck when I find out.’

Gobber frowned slightly. ‘Your point being?’

‘Well... best to not let the village know what happened with that boat if you can. Once Tuffnut and the others finish work, there’s no stopping it.’

Eret examined the dragonhide bag closely before he spoke. ‘If I would guess, it would be knowledge of dragons that might be helpful to us. Then again, being Grimmel... it might be painful for you to go through it, Hiccup.’ He frowned sympathetically. ‘I know you’re the chief and have the final say on this kind of thing, but I think I should look through it first. Like you mentioned before... it just may serve as a painful reminder of what he’s done.’

Hiccup lowered his gaze to stare at the pack warily. ‘I... think you might be right. If you could check it for me, and bring the bag back to me later this afternoon, I would be grateful. Please be quick though; I’d like to know what to do with it before the fishermen complete their trips.’ He handed the bag over, dipping his head back to the elevator. ‘You might want to get into a safe place, in case there’s paper that could scatter in the wind. Can I trust you with this?’

Eret nodded earnestly. ‘Thank you, chief.’

Hiccup twisted his mouth clumsily. ‘I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to you calling me that. I just prefer Hiccup.’

‘Oh... sorry, Hiccup.’ Eret bowed his head quickly. ‘I’ll return it to you as soon as I can. I’ll meet you at your hut.’

Hiccup nodded back, and Eret made his way to the lift. As he and Gobber watched him go, the old viking eyed the chief quizzically.

‘Uh... Hiccup? Don’t you have somewhere to be? Shoulda gone with him.’

‘Actually...’ Hiccup turned and smiled at him. ‘I think I’ll take over your duties for now. You’ve earned a rest after that haunted boat business.’

‘Gah! Don’t remind me!’ However, Gobber quickly recovered and smiled back. ‘But a rest sounds good to me. Might visit one of the beaches. But how will you get back to your hut before Eret?’

‘Well, I wasn’t planning on giving you the _whole_ day off. But you can ask one of the others up there if they can take over the docks after lunch. Just so long as someone can come relieve me.’

‘Oh.’ Gobber looked slightly disappointed. ‘Ah well, maybe Valka or Ruffnut–‘

‘Not Ruffnut! Anyone but Ruffnut!’

The old viking chuckled as he left Hiccup standing on the dock alone. He spared one last look at the ascended wooden lift, his gut squirming a little as he thought to what Eret would uncover. He shook it off quickly as he focused on the docks and workers who now needed his attention.

* * *

Hiccup’s hours at the dock went by too quickly, it seemed, as before he knew it Astrid herself was coming down the lift. It just then occurred to him that Gobber might have at least told her what happened, and he gulped somewhat nervously as she approached with a questioning glance.

‘So... I heard you and Gobber had a strange encounter with a boat?’

She didn’t seem mad, so Hiccup relaxed a little.

‘Yeah... I gave it to Eret to have a look at. Um... how much did Gobber tell you?’

‘Enough, though I’m glad you thought to tie yourselves to something before going in. I usually need to remind of that kind of thing.’

Hiccup nodded before turning to back the docks, a couple of new boats coming in. ‘You okay to handle this? I assume that’s what you’re here for...’

‘You would be right.’

‘What about the kids?’

‘Don’t worry, Valka’s free for now. If you go back now, you two can decide what to do next. Maybe talk to Eret together.’

Hiccup adjusted his coat as he faced the lift. ‘Well, looks like I should be on my way.’

He fell silent for a couple of seconds as he remained there, a worried frown coating his brow. Astrid tilted her head before reaching out and grasping his shoulder gently.

‘You alright there chief? You seem a little nervous.’

Hiccup exhaled heavily, putting his own hand over hers gratefully.

‘If something like this might have happened... maybe twelve, thirteen years ago, I would be excited, even happy, if it wasn’t from Grimmel. But I’m chief now, and if the information is actually important, then... it’s gonna be complicated. I... neither of us can just go and fly wherever we want. Part of me is hoping it’s just nothing, just some information to tuck away for future generations, but I have a feeling it won’t be.’

Astrid watched him for a bit before resting her head on his shoulder. ‘Well, you aren’t going to find out by standing here. Even if it’s going to bring trouble, it doesn’t have to mean bad trouble. You know?’

Hiccup sighed. ‘I know.’ He cleared his throat and Astrid stood back. ‘I better get going.’ He looked up at her and smiled. ‘Don’t work them too hard, okay?’

‘No promises.’

By the time he got to the lift, Astrid was already handing out orders like candy. Hiccup shrugged as he spotted the somewhat miserable looks on the worker’s faces. _Well... they’re at least guaranteed to get a lot done now._

Unable to shake off his anxiety, he went straight for his hut. Eret was not there yet, and he heard Valka’s voice from inside.

He put on a smile as he opened the door. Valka was in Zephyr’s room, helping her sort through her outfits, while Nuffink was hidden away in his room; Hiccup guessed he was reading.

Valka looked up at him while Zephyr was otherwise preoccupied, managing to slip away without drawing the girl’s attention.

‘So, I see Astrid met up with you. I can only imagine the look on the workers’ faces!’

Hiccup nodded in agreement. ‘Yeah, she does drive them hard, but on the plus side it might give them some down time later on.’

Valka lowered her voice as she glanced back towards Zephyr. ‘So what’s happening with the... package?’

Hiccup reluctantly lowered his voice. ‘Eret’s going through it first. Given the kind of person Grimmel was, it made sense for him to check it first.’

‘I suppose...’

Valka flashed a reassuring smile as Zephyr poked her head out curiously.

‘What are you two whispering about?’

Valka and Hiccup exchanged an awkward glance, before Hiccup attempted to examine her guiltily.

‘Well... to be honest, Zephyr, I don’t think that skirt works with that tunic.’

The girl opened her mouth slightly as she looked down at herself. ‘Huh... you’re right. Grandma, help pick a new one, won’t you?’

Valka nodded as she stepped forward.

‘We’ll talk again when Eret shows up,’ she whispered over her shoulder, to which Hiccup nodded subtly.

‘Ahem… speaking of that, Valka…’

They turned their heads towards the door ajar, Eret’s bearded face poking through cautiously. He pushed the dragonhide bag through the door two. ‘Shall I come in? Or is this a bad time?’

Zephyr leaned forward to peek at the trapper curiously, with Hiccup and Valka sharing a concerned glance.

‘Zephyr, sweetie…’ Valka leaned down, ‘can you look after yourself for a bit? Your father and I have some… things to discuss with Eret here.’

Zephyr pursed her lip dejectedly with annoyed frown, but returned her attention to her clothes.

‘…Fine. I guess I could annoy Nuffink about his book if I get bored.’

Hiccup raised a brow with slight concern, but Valka smiled as she stood up and headed towards the door, waving her hand forward for Hiccup and Eret to join her outside.

They gathered at a wooden table off in a grassy, shady area a fair way around the hut. Hiccup tried to study Eret’s expression, but he couldn’t really glean a positive or negative reaction. His heart began to race a little, regardless, as they sat.

‘So… what did you find?’ Valka asked when Hiccup remained silent.

‘Two things… but possibly valuable, nonetheless. Especially to you two.’

He opened the bag carefully and pulled out a book with leather covers – the pages somewhat worn, but intact. The other was a folded package, which Eret had previously unwrapped as he dropped thick string next to it, it’s top and bottom covered with thin leather. Hiccup lifted one side, spotting several layers of parchment.

‘That one is a map,’ Eret explained with a guarded expression, ‘and I think you can guess what Grimmel used it for.’

Valka and Hiccup looked to each other miserably.

‘I guess it was a good thing you checked, huh?’ Hiccup said with a half-hearted smile.

Eret simply nodded before leaning forward, touching his elbow with the book. ‘This is… was… Grimmel’s Journal. Again, you can guess what he recorded.’

Heat rose in Hiccup’s throat as he gripped the table’s edge.

‘I still can’t believe… how vile one person can be…’

Eret exhaled sadly. ‘I know, Hiccup. But despite their contents… I believe the information they have could still be valuable. When I looked at the map, there were two areas that drew my attention. Without going into too much detail, if any Night Furies are still alive, they would be the best bet.’

Hiccup’s grim expression softened, but Valka couldn’t help but frown sceptically. ‘Best bet? You mean a mission? Eret, in case you forgot, we don’t have dragons anymore.’

‘Yes… of course, it can’t all be good news…’

Eret sat back and folded his arms thoughtfully.

‘Care to elaborate?’ Hiccup queried.

‘As much as Grimmel claimed he hunted the Night Furies single-handedly… the numbers on the map don’t add up. And while that could mean more Night Furies survived than he intended… I doubt he was the only human who hunted them. In all my years of dragon trapping, however, I never heard of anyone with his skill or resources. Still…’

‘Your point, Eret?’ Valka stated.

‘It’s dangerous out there.’ He leaned forward with a grim look. ‘More so for any dragons, given what we’ve heard from the nearby settlements. Dragons have all but disappeared from the world, and I can only pray that’s because Toothless directed dragons to find them and bring them home.’

Hiccup bowed his head as he stared at the closed documents with a heavy brow.

‘I’ll let you think it over. You are the chief, after all, and I trust your judgement.’

As he stood up, Hiccup managed to speak.

‘Thanks, Eret… for what it’s worth.’

Eret nodded respectfully. ‘If you do go through them yourself, I would suggest only looking at the map, for your own well-being. The journal can get downright unpleasant.’

Valka nodded thankfully. ‘We’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for your time, Eret.’

The two remained there silently, examining the two packages with a hint of revulsion, yet Hiccup couldn’t deny the same feeling he had years ago when he first flew Toothless, and all the flights thereafter. The possibilities, both good and bad, left him fumbling uneasily.

‘Well?’ He asked softly. ‘Nothing to say? You spent years rescuing dragons… don’t you understand what this means?’

Valka inclined her head sadly. ‘It came at great cost, Hiccup. To you and Stoick.’ She placed her hand on his arm. ‘I let my love of dragons cloud my better judgement, and I left you both behind when I could have done so much more, like you eventually did.’

She sighed and leaned back, gazing at the sky in remembrance. ‘I’m not going to say anything, Hiccup. I’m hardly the most objective party in this instance. My heart longs to save those dragons, but my head knows they may no longer be alive. And then, by my guess, you and Toothless would be at risk… a lot of lives rely on you two now.’

Hiccup frowned worriedly. ‘There’s a lot more to lose now… for what could be just a sliver of hope.’

‘Exactly.’

Hiccup leaned forward with his fingers intertwined and elbows on the table.

‘Your heart and head know mine so well it’s unbelievable.’

Valka managed a small smile. ‘Not really. I am your mother, after all.’

She sat for another before standing up energetically.

‘Right. Well enough of that, I better go check on my grandchildren. Speaking of which…’ She gripped his shoulder gently as she passed. ‘Don’t shut your family out of your decision... whenever you decide to make it.’

‘I won’t, Mom.’

Hiccup remained there for several more minutes, before he noticed the surrounding shadows cast by the afternoon sun. He wrapped the map in the string carefully and took the packages to his room, opening the thick wooden chest at the bed’s base and placed them inside, sparing glance for his own old maps and tools that once had some use.

_None of this really matters until Toothless arrives. I’ll have to see what he thinks… I wouldn’t be able to go on foot or by boat, that’s for sure._

He closed the chest tightly, and managed a smile as he passed by Nuffink’s room, Valka trying to diffuse a scuffle over a book.

_Most likely the book of dragons._

* * *

The next week passed by, both too quickly and too slowly for Hiccup and his family. No one pried into his decision regarding Grimmel’s map, and Hiccup maintained his usual vigilance and bright demeanour. After all, he was going to see Toothless again... but he couldn’t help but be nervous as to how the family of dragons would react to an entire settlement of humans. Depending on how things went, they might become regular visitors, and the dragons might return to the world in his lifetime... or that would be something he would never see.

He and Valka spent much of their time organising and constructing a dragon perch best suited to Furies within a week, which wouldn’t normally be an easy task, but the sheer amount of volunteers to help surprised them both. It seemed the whole village missed the dragons as much as they did.

Gobber managed to dig up his old blueprints on the designs for small to medium sized dragons. Normally, the central column would be almost as wide a small hut to allow even the heaviest dragons to roost on its platforms, but this one was only about twice the width of a large oak tree. They positioned the column close to the entrance of the forest, hidden from plain view but easy for anyone who knew the paths to find them. The column was painted with some of their tribal emblems. They also built an enclosure at its base, in case the Night Lights had to sleep on the ground and not hanging from overhead poles like their parents.

Zephyr and Nuffink wanted to help at first, but considering how many adults were already working on it there really wasn’t much to do. Thankfully they were content to watch and continually pester their parents or the workers about its construction and how they accommodate dragons’ unique needs.

The night before they were scheduled to arrive, Zephyr and Nuffink took forever to fall asleep. Hiccup and Astrid knew how they felt, too... Hiccup couldn’t even tell if or how long he slept that night.

All he knew was that he got out of bed long before the sun rose, after trying and failing to go back to sleep. He took care not to wake anyone, especially Astrid, who was pulling her weight with daily work being more difficult without all the workers.

He strapped on the warmest cloak he could and made his way through New Berk. While the place was silent, there was an anxious, excited energy – like the morning before a festival. He even spotted some candles lit, telling him there were many others in his situation.

Before long, he stood facing the dimly lit horizon on the small coastal headland... the same where all the dragons of Berk left together. He stood there for several before he knew he would not be leaving here until Toothless showed up. He broke his gaze from the brightening skyline and looked around, finding the smoothest rock to sit against that still had a decent view. He sat, tightening his cloak, before something in the trees caught his eye.

His eyes darted several times before he actually turned his head, spotting two small figures hiding themselves behind the nearest tree.

He sighed. ‘How long have you two been up?’

The two small Vikings stood out of the trees reluctantly with their hands behind their backs.

‘Basically since you were, Dad,’ Zephyr answered.

‘Are we in trouble?’ Nuffink asked hesitantly, but Hiccup smiled to himself.

‘To be honest, I’m not surprised. Do you want to sit with me?’

They answered by dashing and sitting on either him, Nuffink resting his head on Hiccup’s lap.

The three sat in silence as the sun rose slowly over the horizon, but the effort in focusing on the sky without any distractions took its toll. Zephyr and Nuffink soon began snoring softly, and despite Hiccup’s steadfast anticipation, found himself nodding off before long.

* * *

‘Hiccup. Come on, now? Really?’

Hiccup snorted and squinted at the large, box like figure standing over him. Zephyr just yawned and snuggled tighter into Hiccup’s cloak, but Nuffink rubbed his eyes and looked up as well.

‘Uncle Fishleg? You want to greet the dragons too?’

‘Ugh… Fish _legs_. But yeah, that’s why I’m here. Speaking of which…’

The rotund viking, his arms folded, leaned down and glared at Hiccup dejectedly.

‘If you were going to wake up early to wait for them, why didn’t you tell me?! Ten years since I’ve seen a real, live dragon, and–‘

Hiccup stopped him by raising his hand. ‘I know how much you want to see them, Fishlegs… but these _are_ the first dragons to visit us in ten years. Given how… enthusiastic you can get, I didn’t want to scare away Moondust and the hatchlings within seconds of arriving. Namely, you.’

There was a moment of silence.

‘Daddy, that’s mean.’

Fishlegs smiled down at the groggy Zephyr reluctantly. ‘Well, I suppose I wouldn’t want the dragons to be afraid of New Berk…’ He blinked as he examined them further. ‘Aren’t you guys cold? It’s too early to be out. Maybe you two should go home?’

Nuffink nodded slowly while yawning. ‘Maybe… how long until they get here?’

Hiccup chuckled with embarrassment. ‘If Toothless took me literally, they might arrive in the afternoon, since that was the time when I asked.’

Zephyr stirred with an annoyed groan. ‘Wha… we have to wait that long? Then why did you get up so early?’

‘I guess I couldn’t help myself… Sorry.’

Zephyr simply groaned, but was in no mood to move at that moment. Hiccup couldn’t bring himself to pry away from them, so he remained sitting, and after a moment Fishlegs sat in front of them cross-legged.

‘Well, I don’t really feel like getting up either... and there were some things I wanted to ask you, Fishlegs.’

‘Yes, yes, I promise I’ll keep my distance... at least for a few seconds...’

Hiccup shook his head. ‘No, not that... though I would appreciate you examining the Night Lights especially, as long as Moondust lets you.’

Fishlegs blinked curiously. ‘Not a bad name. I’m guessing that was Astrid’s work?’

Hiccup frowned. ‘Gee, thanks.’

‘What about the Night Lights? How’d you name them?’

Hiccup’s eyes fell uncertainly. ‘Well... we called them that because we didn’t know what else to call them. Dunno if they’re Night Furies, Light Furies, or something else...’ He shook his head. ‘Anyway, I figured you would want to classify them somehow. You’ll see them soon enough, but…’

Fishlegs grinned. ‘Too excited to do anything else?’

‘…Yeah.’

‘Well, first you’ll need to describe them to me in as much detail as possible.’

It didn’t take long for Hiccup to describe them, but Fishlegs had a strange look in his eyes, just the same as Valka had when Hiccup had described them to her.

‘So… what do you think they are?’

Fishlegs closed his eyes and folded his arms. ‘It’s… hard to say, chief. We don’t know how old they are. The only way to be absolutely sure is to wait until they mature, to see if their scales shed into different colours, or remain the same… It sure sounds like a weird pattern to me. It’s not unusual for dragons to have weird patterns as babies but become more uniform as they mature.’

As the two adults were talking, Nuffink and Zephyr gradually opened their eyes, but not because of what they were hearing. They squinted over Fishlegs’ shoulder, eyes widening with excitement, and started tugging on Hiccup’s undershirt, but he didn’t notice for several seconds.

‘Well part of me is hoping they really are Night Furies, at least those two–‘

‘Dad!’ The kids exclaimed together.

‘Huh?’

‘Look!’

They pointed up at the sky. Hiccup and Fishlegs squinted and rubbed their eyes.

There were three specks in the distance closing in against a back drop of large white clouds. At first, Hiccup frowned worriedly, as there should have been five, but eventually two more figures materialised, eyes and mouth appearing first, and Hiccup smiled at Moondust and the brighter Night Light alongside the others.

Hiccup and his children were up on their feet in no time, tempted to run to the edge but Hiccup knew they would need space. He kept the others at distance, but he could not stop the gradual trickle of Vikings from joining their side as they watched the dragons approach with bated breath.

‘Give them some space, everyone…’ He announced as the dragons descended. ‘Remember what I said about Moondust!’

The village then attempted to organise itself into groups and keep as much distance as possible while still in view of the landing zone. Astrid and Valka were at Hiccup’s side by the time the dragons landed.

The Night Lights looked around at the village nervously, keeping between their parents’ front legs. Toothless gave one quick glance over all the villagers before he bounded forward, stopping just before Hiccup before happily licking the front half of his body. Hiccup, along with Nuffink and Zephyr, began to laugh as the chief gently raised his hands in front of him. Fishlegs balled up his cheeks and came very close to squealing before he cleared his throat and tried to adopt a more serious expression.

‘Hehe… good to see you too, bud. You’re early! Not that I’m complaining.’

The Night Lights watched the two of them, slightly reassured as Toothless turned to them, barking lightly while tilting his head towards the Vikings.

‘Is he introducing us?’ Astrid asked Valka quietly, while keeping her eyes on the dragons.

‘I would say so,’ Valka answered with a smile.

They, along with Hiccup, Fishlegs, Nuffink and Zephyr, stayed close to the dragons while Toothless led them to each group of Vikings, taking turns in petting and scratching Toothless, and taking a closer look at the Night Lights, though most kept a distance depending on Moondust’s expression. With each group, the Vikings either returned to their homes or their duties. Toothless lead the group around the village for the next several hours, the Night Lights seemingly grew bolder and let the other Vikings get closer, and Moondust visibly relaxed as they went along. Hiccup had a huge smile on his face the whole time.

_Well, I think that’s a good first impression…_

Eventually, Hiccup led the group to the chief’s hut waving his hand over the building as the dragons watched.

‘Well, this is my home. We worked really hard on it, but I would ask that the kids, if they want to play together, to do so outside… The inside is chaotic enough as it is.’

Astrid chuckled to herself as they moved on to the forest path. Toothless’ eyes widened with excitement as the perch came into view, hopping and darting around the wooden base for a closer look, even testing the overhead beam by jumping up and hanging himself by the tail. Moondust watched him with amusement, while the Night Lights sniffed at the beam curiously and exploring the base and enclosure.

‘It’s all we could make in a week, but we hope you like it.’

Toothless answered Hiccup with a happy growl and dropped down. As he and Moondust began to look around their temporary home, Hiccup and Astrid addressed Valka and Fishlegs, who had maintained their distance but had followed nonetheless.

‘So… did you two want to examine the Night Lights more closely?’

He shared a quick glance with Moondust, who had raised her head at them curiously. ‘Just want to make sure they’re healthy, Moondust.’

They watched the family of dragons briefly.

‘They must be tired and hungry from the flight,’ Fishlegs observed, ‘so we should give them a few minutes to get settled in. Then feed them.’ He smiled to himself. ‘I think I could check on the Night Lights this way, without getting bitten by Moondust over there…’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Fishlegs,’ Valka scolded lightheartedly, ‘she wouldn’t do that. Um… would she, Hiccup?’

Hiccup just shrugged. ‘Toothless accidentally bit me a couple of time, but the teeth aren’t _that_ sharp. Though I’ll try and make sure she and Toothless are okay with it before you do.’

‘And I’d like to feed them as soon as possible!’ Fishlegs turned around eagerly towards the village. ‘So Hiccup, could you please explain it to them by the time I get back! Thank you!’

Hiccup could only open his mouth before Fishlegs was already out of earshot. ‘Wow… he can be quick when he needs to be.’

‘Are you kidding?’ Astrid smiled, ‘When he saw the dragons I thought he would burst! Better be quick, Hiccup.’

The chief turned towards Toothless and Moondust, who were both staring at him questioningly. ‘Right, uh, here’s the thing… don’t kill Fishlegs.’

* * *

True enough, it only took a few minutes, somehow, for Fishlegs to get a whole basketful of fresh fish from the docks and make it back, with no sign of fatigue. Valka and Astrid, in the meantime, retrieved some cooking materials and ingredients from their hut and the remaining humans had begun setting up a ring of stones and firewood and set up a large pot for boiling over a fire.

Zephyr and Nuffink spent their time either playing with the Night Lights or generally following the dragons as much as possible; Toothless and Moondust were taking turns in scouting the nearby forest if they wanted to go out hunting. As the cooking progressed, however, they couldn’t resist staying near the delicious smells pouring out of the pot, as well as the other fish on skewers around the fire. Fishlegs had picked out some smaller fish as well for the Night Lights.

Moondust had to at some points stop the Night Lights, even Toothless, from rushing forward and gobbling up the fish right then and there, holding out her wings before them. Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait much longer, as Hiccup and Fishlegs brought them all the fish as quickly as they could eat them, Fishlegs feeding the Night Lights while Hiccup brought the largest fish to Toothless and Moondust. After the first fish, the Night Lights tried to follow Fishlegs wherever he went, and he was able to examine them as they ate and while hand-feeding them at the same time.

Astrid meanwhile organised bowls of stew for the humans, and when the dragons had finished with the fish, she let them eat straight out of the pot once the humans had gotten their share. Nuffink stuck out his tongue in disgust, and the humans therefore got no more stew after the dragons started.

True to Fishleg’s instinct, the dragons were hungry to lick the pot clean, and the Night Lights gathered around Fishlegs as if expecting more food, while Nuffink and Zephyr sat beside him. Toothless and Moondust yawned widely and lay on the grass together, keeping their faces in full view of Fishlegs and the Night Lights. Hiccup sat beside them, noting how their eyes were beginning to droop.

‘You two can sleep, if you want. The rest of us can keep an eye on them… until they hopefully fall asleep too. Where do they get their energy?’

Astrid chuckled from behind the fire’s remains. ‘You could say the same about our children.’

‘Or… all children,’ Valka said with a smile. When Hiccup looked at her, he stared in confusion. He could tell the smile was not in her eyes.

‘Uh… Mom? Are you alright?’

She blinked at him in surprise. ‘Oh! I suppose I’m just… tired. I’ll be inside.’

She got up and made her way to Hiccup’s hut. He couldn’t help but frown worriedly, as there was a heaviness to her step that wasn’t there before.

Nuffink observed with similar concern. ‘Mom? Is grandma sick?’

Astrid quickly shook her head, but frowned uncertainly. ‘She seemed fine this morning. It has been a few hours of walking about, but that’s usually no problem for her.’

‘You’re right…’ Hiccup wondered out loud. ‘I wonder what’s up.’

Astrid nodded back to him. ‘Once the Night Lights fall asleep, maybe you should check on her…’

Hiccup returned the gesture, and he, Astrid, Fishlegs, Nuffink and Zephyr remained sitting around the dwindling fire until the Night Lights finally gave up on more food and joined their parents, curling up against Moondust’s side as they too fell asleep.

* * *

Hiccup left the others to watch over the dragons a few minutes later, quietly making his way to his study. He could hear sniffles in the room, and he opened the door slowly.

‘Mom?’

Valka quickly wiped her eyes and looked away from him. As Hiccup opened the door, he saw her sitting at the wooden table against the fur draped wall, reading through the book of dragons. The book was opened… to the page with the Night Fury entry.

‘As former Chieftess, you would think I could compose myself better…’

Hiccup slowly sat on another chair at the head of the table.

‘What’s going on, Mom? Is this about the Night Lights?’ He glanced at the book thoughtfully. ‘I thought something felt off when I told you about them before.’

Valka nodded, but was silent for several seconds as Hiccup waited for an answer. As she looked at him, the look in her eyes was familiar… going back to the day they lost Stoick to Drago.

‘I was hoping you’re description wasn’t entirely accurate… but it was. As if they are a hybrid species of both the Night Furies and Light Furies. Like they are not the same species.’

Hiccup couldn’t help but frown sadly. ‘You say that as if it’s something... terrible.’

‘It could very well be… especially for the Night Furies. I suspected Toothless to be one of the last of his kind, but I was praying it wasn’t true… that him and Moondust would be able to reverse this terrible fate… but I suspect that hope was for nothing. I failed you and Stoick, son. I couldn’t protect him. I couldn’t protect the Bewilderbeast. And now I feel like I’ve failed Toothless too, like I could have done more…’

Hiccup sat there in silence, absorbing all she had said. He couldn’t see it before, but now it made sense… and he now wished he had remained ignorant of it all, as his stomach clenched to the point where he almost doubled over, and he had to sit.

‘She’s got a point, Hiccup.’

A voice from the door made them look up, and Fishlegs joined them at the table, his expression now uncharacteristically subdued.

‘It would have been far clearer if the Night Lights were obviously baby Night Furies or Light Furies, but we all know they aren’t. And no matter how closely two subspecies are related, a new one does not get made in one generation. I… don’t know if those babies really have a future.’

Hiccup watched him thoughtfully. ‘I... would think the possibility of a new species would excite you at least a little bit, Fishlegs...’

‘Yeah, but not at the cost of another.’

They sat in silence for a whole minute, before he sighed heavily.

‘Though we might still be jumping to conclusions. A lot of dragons, especially those that have very different looking males and females, have babies that don’t look anything like their parents until the start maturing. I… can only hope that’s the case here.’

Hiccup and Valka shared a hesitant look, and Valka nodded.

‘Hope’s not enough.’ Hiccup stated miserably. ‘Not for Toothless, or the Night Furies.’

Fishlegs looked at him sadly. ‘What are we supposed to do, Hiccup? Grimmel’s already hunted them all.’

Hiccup shook his head slowly. ‘We don’t know that. And because of Grimmel, we might know where to find other Night Furies.’

Fishlegs stared at him in shock. ‘What?! What do you mean?’

Hiccup managed to relax and sit up straight. ‘You weren’t here, but Gobber and I found Grimmel’s body in a wrecked ship. More importantly, we found a map and journal of the Night Furies he hunted. Eret check them, and… well, the maps shows some place that Night Furies could still be alive.’

Fishlegs stared wide eyed at him for several seconds.

‘Then you’ve gotta find them! Toothless is here now, you should be trying to get going as soon as possible! Every moment you wait here means another Night Fury that could be out there, along with any other hunters like Grimmel that might still be searching…’

Hiccup exhaled heavily. ‘It’s not that simple, Fishlegs. I’m chief now, and I can’t just leave Astrid and the kids behind like that… not to mention how long it would take to find them…’

‘Who else is going to do it? Who else _can_ do it? Given how elusive Night Furies are supposed to be, and you’re the only one who’s ever trained one…’

There was another round of silence as Hiccup frowned thoughtfully, Valka and Fishlegs watching him with fixation.

‘That’s… a good point. I just haven’t told Toothless yet. I don’t know… how to tell him…’

‘As soon as he wakes up, you should. I’m sure he’d want to find them even more than _you_ do.’

Hiccup continued to furrow his brow thoughtfully. Valka, having regained her composure, managed to smile and grip his shoulder.

‘Whatever you decide, make sure your family knows. I’m sure they will understand. And if it comes to it… I’m sure all the Vikings here would, too. But you’re the chief, Hiccup. It’s up to you.’

* * *

That evening, Hiccup spent some time studying the map but avoiding the journal, and waited for the first opportunity to talk to Toothless away from the other villagers. It took some time, as Toothless was all too eager to explore the new establishments since he’d left, and it wasn’t until around dinnertime that Moondust and the hatchlings were back at their perch and Toothless was finished exploring for the day. As the Night Lights settled in the enclosure, and their parents were about to hang from the beam, Hiccup approached somewhat nervously, his shadow from the central bonfire signalling his presence to the dragons.

‘Hey guys. Moondust, I need to borrow Toothless, if you don’t mind?’

Moondust and Toothless glanced at each other shortly; the Light Fury simply shrugging as she flapped her wings up to hang from the beam. Toothless eyed Hiccup curiously.

‘It’s… important, Toothless. Trust me.’

He praised his own foresight in designing his hut, as the rooms and doors were wide and open enough for Toothless to enter without issue, though the dragon had to stick his head through the study’s door as Hiccup gather Grimmel’s map, bringing back out to the living room and carefully laying it open on a fur rung, just in front of their lit fireplace. There was a large, central continent with many nearby islands branching off. Old Berk was situated to the west of this continent, and New Berk was a good distance out to sea northwest of that. There was also a medium sized island north of the central one; it was in this area that Hiccup focused on.

‘I wasn’t sure how to show you this, Toothless. This… this is Grimmel’s map of Night Furies. The ones he killed.’

Toothless was silent for a moment as he looked over each mark. There were many circles and crosses – the former for sightings, and the latter for confirmed kills. The Night Fury whined softly.

‘I know. I wish it wasn’t like this… But there are two large areas of the map where there aren’t any marks at all. And also, there is at least one Night Fury that was sighted, and according to Eret, Grimmel never found. Around here.’ Hiccup pointed out the northern third of the central continent. ‘That continent’s called Faramor. If there are any Night Furies left, that’s the best bet. Otherwise…’ He moved his finger over to the northern island. ‘There’s just one sighting here, but no kills. There are no humans there, as far as we know… thus it’s called... Lost Shore. Not the best name, but there it is.’

Hiccup sighed heavily and closed the map and wrapped it up, sitting in front of the fire with his head bowed.

‘I want to find them, bud. We searched for years before, and found nothing… but strangely enough, thanks to Grimmel, we actually have a lead. But things have changed… we both have families now, and it’s not so easy as to just leave. I can’t do this without you, Toothless. After all, it might take one Night Fury to find another.’

He looked up at Toothless, who was staring down at him warmly. ‘So… what do you say? Should we go?’

Toothless was silent for a second. He turned and swiftly pushed through the large door to Hiccup’s bedroom, and panic rose in Hiccup’s chest as he heard his chest being opened and metal clanging. He got up with some difficulty.

‘Hey, hey! Those are fragile…!’

The sounds ceased almost as quickly as they began. Toothless pushed through the door, and dumped something out of his mouth onto the rug, before staring at Toothless with large, beady eyes.

It was his old saddle. Hiccup smiled.

* * *

It didn’t take Hiccup long to gather what he needed for the trip. They would have to be fast, and they would have to keep Toothless out of sight to not draw attention to their mission, as well as avoiding humans in general due to the possibility of other hunters out there. Hiccup reluctantly decided to keep Grimmel’s dragonhide bag as it would be best way to keep the important documents safe.

As he began to clean the saddle, it didn’t take long for Astrid or his children to catch on to what he was doing. Early the next morning, they found him with paint, brushes and other tools to get the saddle reworked and refitted.

‘Going somewhere, are we?’

Hiccup almost dropped the brush before he turned to face her, along with Zephyr and Nuffink on either side. She was wearing an unreadable expression, but Zephyr had her hands on her hips and was frowning. Only that Hiccup could spot the curling of her lips underneath it all. Nuffink glanced at them awkwardly, and shrugged when Hiccup raised a questioning brow. Hiccup slowly smiled as Zephyr and Astrid tried to hold their poses.

‘Zephyr, you’re going to burst at this rate.’

The girl let out the air in her cheeks before she turned pink, managing a laugh when she caught her breath. Astrid and Nuffink just walked closer, the boy standing on his tip toes to try and get a view of the saddle.

‘You haven’t considered making a new one?’ Astrid examined the straps and metal buckles with concern. ‘It might not be safe, travelling long distances like that...’

Hiccup hesitated.

‘This one was reinforced with dragon scales. And I don’t think I can wait for Toothless or the rest of them to supply us with new ones.’

Astrid and Hiccup looked each other in the eye for a moment in silence.

‘So... you know?’

Astrid nodded. ‘I knew Toothless hadn’t really changed all that much, and after all that time we spent searching for the Night Furies with no luck, I knew you wouldn’t pass this up.’ She looked down at their children, Zephyr joining Nuffink in examining the saddle. ‘Even though we have _them_ now...’

Nuffink blinked up at them dejectedly. ‘We’re standing right here!’

Hiccup chuckled shortly before he kneeled down and gazed at them. ‘So you two know? That I’m going with Toothless?’

They nodded quietly.

‘And you’re not asking to come?’

Zephyr smiled for a moment before she shook her head. ‘I know we’re not old enough. And Mom said you were going to be sneaking around, since dragons are supposed to be a secret.’ She grumbled to herself for a moment. ‘I still don’t really understand why, but Mom told us it was the reason why Toothless might be one of the last Night Furies. And... that makes me sad.’

Nuffink then stepped forward and gripped his elbow. ‘That’s why you’ve got to go! I can’t stand the thought that the other Toothless’ are all gone!’

Hiccup smiled thankfully. ‘That’s... pretty much how I feel. Will you two be alright without me for a while?’

The kids glanced at each other, at a loss.

‘I dunno,’ Zephyr murmured, ‘you’ve never had to go away before.’

Hiccup exhaled and shared a strained smile with Astrid. ‘Will you guys be alright?’

Astrid cupped her chin thoughtfully. ‘Depends. If Moondust and the Night Lights could stay while you two are away, it would certainly make things more interesting around here. It’s only because of your instructions that the village isn’t swarming them with affection.’

‘I think – or hope – Toothless is trying to convince them now,’ Hiccup said with a chuckle. ‘But seriously, will you be alright?’

Astrid glanced down for a second, before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him close.

‘Just promise you’ll come back, you hear?’ She whispered in his ear. ‘You and Toothless.’

Hiccup was silent for a moment as he hugged her back. ‘... And hopefully with a lot of other Night Furies.’

They held that post until they felt their children’s’ gazes on them, and they stood back and coughed in embarrassment.

‘You’ve still got to tell the village, though.’

Hiccup froze for a split second and groaned. ‘Great. And to think I didn’t need to give any more speeches...’

Zephyr and Nuffink shared a laugh, Zephyr pointing at him. ‘So you’re no good at naming things, or giving speeches? What kind of Viking chief are you?’

Hiccup snorted lightly, and Nuffink smirked at her. ‘Look who’s talking!’

* * *

Hiccup spent the rest of the day readjusting his equipment, attempting to get his old blade Inferno working, but without a Monstrous Nightmare around he wouldn’t have useable fuel any time soon. Valka, Astrid, Fishlegs and Eret helped him outfit Toothless with the saddle and packing a tent and fishing rod as compactly as they could. Thankfully Hiccup had maps of nearby settlements that he might be able to get supplies from, and kept such maps in Grimmel’s pack along with his journal and other sensitive documents.

Hiccup sent word to Gobber and other messengers that night for the village to gather around the bonfire, amidst carved stone they had added to their upper deck beneath the communal hall. Moondust and the Hatchlings were also present, watching from thick railings and hanging their tails over the edge. Toothless and Hiccup stood in full view beside the fireplace, while the rest of the village sat on the wooden deck or nearest wooden benches.

Hiccup’s stomach churned somewhat, but as he looked around the villagers were very calm and already seemed to know what was going on. He took a deep breath as he stepped forward.

‘Thanks for coming, everyone. I know this was short notice, but... it is important. And from the look on your faces, you pretty much know what this whole meeting is about.’

There were several nods and glances in Toothless’ direction.

‘First off, thank you for giving Toothless and his family a proper welcome. I wasn’t expecting Moondust to get comfortable so quick, but I think we’ve shown her that there are people that value and care for dragons being with us. It’s got me thinking that the dragons might be able to return to human lands within our lifetimes. But it also got me thinking about Grimmel...’

There was a collective scowl among the villagers, many curling their mouths in disgust.

‘It’s because of people like him that I believe that humans are not ready to share this world with dragons. It’s because of him that Toothless is the only Night Fury we’ve ever known... until now.’

He paused, but there was no reaction, instead the Viking’s rapt attention invited him to continue.

‘I guess you might have heard that Gobber and I found something of Grimmel’s. Eret and I studied a map and journal, and though it describes his... hunts in detail, what got my attention was the instances in where he failed, or where he wasn’t able to go.’

He frowned determinedly, but at no one in particular. ‘I don’t need to tell you how Toothless changed my life, and how I changed his. I owe it to him, not to let the Night Furies die with him. _We_ owe all the dragons, for everything they did for us. That’s why Toothless and I will follow Grimmel’s map to find any Night Furies that could still be alive out there.’

He stopped, exhaling suddenly, surprised at the sudden heat stirring in his chest. After a moment, the Vikings began to stand up, some cheering, others raising their hands.

‘I’ll go with you, Hiccup!’

‘I’ll protect the chief with my life!’

Hiccup spotted Snotlout pushing his way to the front. ‘How about me?! Have Toothless bring Hookfang here and I will be right up there with ya!’

The Vikings’ voices swelled for a moment but then began to fall as Hiccup shook his head reluctantly.

‘I’m... sorry, but I have no intention of bringing anyone else with me.’

There were several loud groans – Snotlout at the front frowning miserably.

‘What? You mean I can’t see Hookfang again?’

Hiccup coughed in astonishment. ‘Ahem... That’s not really the point.’

Another voice boomed among the crowd. ‘Then what is?’

‘The dragons are still supposed to be a secret. Apart from trading by boat, we haven’t really explored the world since the dragons left. If the world thinks the dragons are all extinct, then I’d like to keep it that way, for their sake. Grimmel might not have been the only hunter out there, and any dragon that goes with me and Toothless will be at risk.’

There were several worried murmurs, and Toothless glanced aside awkwardly as several glances made his way.

‘Then what about you two?’

Hiccup turned to share tense nod with Astrid.

‘Toothless would have the best chance of remaining undetected. If he can remain deep in forest, and I scout the human villagers while pretending to be a normal traveller, we can minimise the risks.’

Gobber peeked his head between two larger Vikings, feigning curiosity. ‘And how long will our sneaky little Chief and his dragon be?’

Hiccup frowned with hesitation, though he had long thought about what kind of time limit he would need, and how much the Night Furies might need. Toothless only took about a week to train, but factoring in just finding each Night Fury, then training them... and of course they might be far more wary of humans than Toothless might have been.

‘I understand it would be irresponsible of your Chief to just leave for too long. I’m hoping that I can get at least a few Night Furies first, and if I can find the rest of them where humans can’t reach, then organise another trip later on. So... I’ve decided on three months. I’ve still got kids growing up too, and I don’t want to miss out. I imagine Toothless feels the same.’

Hiccup turned to his dragon companion, only to find the Night Fury distracted as he was gazing at his family, and Moondust, at least, returned the gesture. Hiccup chest tightened a little as he watched, backing off from his position to stroke the side of the Night Fury’s head.

‘Don’t worry. We both have something to come back to. Even if we return empty-handed...’

The village was silent again as they watched the pair. One by one, however, Hiccup’s closest friends and relatives went forward personally, with words of encouragement or a clap on the shoulder. Hiccup smiled around at the village. Gobber, Eret, Fishlegs, Ruffnut... all of them supported his decision unquestioningly, even though some were not keen on being left behind.

The Village spent the next half an hour or so with their own encouragement for both Hiccup and Toothless. Eventually, Hiccup made it clear he was going to leave the next morning and one by one the Vikings wished him luck. Then they filed down the wooden staircase and returned to their homes – there was only so long a Viking could resist their dinner.

Hiccup, Toothless and both their families shared another meal that night, but there were few words, or even sounds, exchanged. Nuffink and Zephyr could help but watch their father and Toothless sadly, but Hiccup couldn’t think of anything to say that he hadn’t said before. The Night Lights were similarly apprehensive – Hiccup didn’t know how their intelligence really compared to his own kids’, but they must have understood that Toothless was leaving, given the more frequent instances of them nuzzling his paws. Moondust watched him silently, but kept her distance.

After that, when Hiccup tried to get some rest, the faces of all the villagers along with his friends and family flashed before his eyes. After a while, some tears trickled down, but he didn’t make a sound.

_I might complain about it sometimes, but... I couldn’t imagine not being the Chief. I’ve got to come back, and Toothless has to come back to his own village too... I just hope... pray, that there are still Night Furies out there for us to find._


	2. Faraway

* * *

Hiccup’s eyes opened with a start. It was very quiet, calm – as it normally would be. But his heart pounded as somehow ten years worth of memories caught up with him. He was somewhat confused by this for a split second before the nervousness set in, and then he recognised it. It was like he was ten years late to one of his father’s speeches back in the day, or he was ten years late to a fishing trip with Nuffink.

_Ten years. Why didn’t I think about this sooner? I know all that business with moving and Grimmel hunting Toothless made us kind of desperate, but...why did I just forget about finding the Night Furies? Because I believed Moondust was one? That everything was going to be okay?_

His breathing became more frequent as he attempted to calm himself down.

_At least Grimmel was gone for those ten years... and I haven’t heard of any other dragon hunters who were actually able to control things like those Deathgrippers. I just hope some Night Furies got away..._

He sat up and breathed deeply as he rubbed his forehead thoughtfully.

_This won’t do. I’ve got other things to worry about now. I haven’t flown Toothless at this level since... well, ever. I can’t afford to take risks like we used to, either._

He pictured himself and Toothless buried in the snow after crashing from testing his jump suit. And Toothless’ silent treatment after each “accident”.

 _More like..._ I _used to._

He sat there for a few more minutes before he heard a sigh next to him.

‘You’re overthinking it.’

Hiccup turned his head abruptly, but Astrid hadn’t even turned her head.

‘Sorry... I didn’t mean to wake you.’

‘Yes, well... you’re not the only one wondering about things.’

Astrid yawned as she slowly sat up as well and stretched out her arms, looking at him tiredly.

‘I’m going to be chieftess on my own for a while. Running things... well, I’ll have plenty of help, so that’s not what I’m worried about. Problem is not hearing from you the whole time. You sure you can’t send a letter or something?’

‘By dragon?’

Astrid snorted. ‘By boat! I don’t expect any Night Furies to know the location of New Berk just because I need some letter!’

Hiccup nodded slowly to himself. ‘I can try. But by the time any boat gets here I’ll probably be back already.’

Astrid smiled shortly. ‘Well, here’s hoping.’

She yawned again and leaned back into her pillow. ‘Well, it’s obvious, but... we’ll miss you.’

Hiccup placed his hand on her shoulder gently. ‘I know. Get some rest... you’ll need it.’

Once Astrid’s breathing had slowed with her dozing off, he carefully pulled himself out of the covers, tightening his metal leg before dressing himself in his light scale tunic and leather, but decided against wearing his cloak, as it was likely to fly off in the air.

He went to check on Zephyr and Nuffink one last time, and to his slight disappointment they were both asleep, but he managed to sneak a quick peck on their foreheads before slipping out the front door. He stared at the familiar door in front of his face, taking in the fresh pine smell sadly, before turning around. Only to be meet with large, pupil-dilated green eyes.

He cut off his own yelp by covering his mouth. Toothless just blinked expectantly when Hiccup exhaled slowly and dropping his hand.

‘I should have seen that coming. You couldn’t sleep well either, huh?’

Toothless grunted affirmatively, turning so Hiccup could strap on what packs he had left firmly held down by leather straps.

‘You say your goodbyes too?’

Toothless glanced toward his and Moondust’ roost, purring sadly.

‘I know, I’m sorry bud. But you know how important this is. Do you know if Moondust will stay while you’re gone?’

Toothless turned back towards him, eyes shimmering hopefully.

‘Well... that’s that. Now let’s get moving. I’m gonna be a bit rusty at this flying thing, you know.’

Hiccup braced himself for Toothless to lick him, prance around and hop towards the landing zone, but the dragon simply walked calmly down the grassy hills. The Night Fury looked over his shoulder as they cleared the buildings, his gaze lingering on the distant forest even as Hiccup tapped his metal foot.

‘Can’t believe I’m the one taking the lead here.’ He strapped on his dragonscale helmet and pulled himself onto Toothless’ saddle, jolting the dragon with a tap of his foot, and Toothless focused his attention on his rider who leaned over.

‘Come on, we should get going. Let’s take things slow at first. Since I’m not controlling you, I trust you won’t do anything too crazy?’

Toothless slowly opened his mouth happily, and Hiccup’s eyes fell. ‘Oh great. And here I thought you’d grown out of that...’

The dragon galloped up and over the edge, diving a hundred metres before pulling out into a twisting pirouette, all while Hiccup was yelling at the top of his lungs with his eyes shut.

‘Too... much! You want me to... puke within the first two minutes of flying?!’

Toothless ignored him and bobbed up and down as the cleared the beach and cliffs, getting as close to the water as possible. Hiccup hung on for dear life until they settled at a moderate pace. Hiccup opened his eyes, turning around to watch his home fade away.

Toothless grunted curiously after a while, and when New Berk was gone, he turned forward.

‘Okay. I need to check how I plot this course...’

He took out a small square map, which was much smaller than his larger, pieced together collection, and slotted it firmly into a slot behind Toothless’ neckline.

‘Just continue north-northwest for now. There’s an island we can stop for a rest if need be, but we won’t get there until tonight.’

Toothless growled questioningly.

‘Huh?’

Toothless was already travelling the right direction, but tipped his body towards the east while looking at him eagerly.

‘Berk? I... don’t think that’s a good idea, bud. It might have been a while, but Grimmel might have left something there. Knowing him, it probably still works. No, we can’t take that risk. Keep going the way you are now.’

Toothless eyed him suspiciously for a moment before doing as he was told.

_Nor would I don’t want to go back, either... if Grimmel or those trappers did something, then I don’t want to see it. Faramor is our priority now. I need to get in to civilisation and see what I can do. I’ll have to pretend to be dragon hunter, since there’s no other way to explain how I have a dragon hide bag. And a weapon. And I might even smell like them; who knows._

Toothless gradually increased his speed at Hiccup’s request, who pressed himself down as low as possible. He could feel the air sting against his eyes whenever he bothered to open them, but thankfully his beard staved off most of the cold around his neck. Unfortunately, even after years of riding Toothless in the past, his waist and legs began to ache more and more as the hours went by. They finally spotted the island he spoke up, which ended up not being much more than a couple of beaches surrounding a small cliff, but he was grateful to plant his legs on solid ground. And from the urgency at which Toothless drank some of his water, and not bothering to light his rock before curling up on it, the dragon was as tired as he was. Hiccup leaned against his dragon’s warm scales and covered himself in his fur cloak, sighing as he knew it would be a few more days before they saw any civilisation.

* * *

They continued in a similar pattern for the next several stretches of sea, overshooting Berk despite Toothless’ subtle urging, but gave up after the next day. On the fourth day, they finally spotted some wooden buildings in the distance from an adjacent stone pillar, and from then on they tried to travel by evening or night. It was far easier to steer clear of any unknown villages or human presence. Unfortunately, as they landed and made their way on foot to check the buildings out, they turned out to be in disrepair and long abandoned. Thankfully, they were nearly to Faramor, and could slow down to a more manageable pace. Both of them were able to sleep a bit better as a result, and Toothless would be able to wake up in case of an actual threat or an emergency.

As they travelled over the coastline leading up to Faramor, Hiccup couldn’t help but feel like they were flying downhill. The land seemed to flatten out, and there was no sign of any tall rocks or formations like he was used to. He could see rather obvious sandbars and even spotted a distant reef to the south as they approached Faramor’s coastline. Toothless remained as high as he could, and Hiccup stared at the vast, lengthy beach before them that seemed to go on forever. Looking around the shrubs and vegetation lining the sandbanks, he suddenly felt exposed all the way up.

‘Toothless... take us in. Place like this? Flying up high makes it way too obvious.’

Toothless gradually pulled them into a glide and gently circled around to land at the northern edge of the beach against a small rock face. It wasn’t very high, but it was better than nothing, and Hiccup found a sandy alcove to inspect his map.

‘Hmm...’ He traced his finger along a line of straight coastline on the southwest of the continent. ‘This must be the beach. Since we’ve never been ourselves, I had to buy the map, but I didn’t believe it when I saw it – the beach being _that_ long. Lucky for us there aren’t any villages too close, or someone would have seen us.’

Hiccup glanced at his dragon companion, who was looking at his shadow absent-mindedly. Hiccup cleared his throat loudly and Toothless grunted with surprise as they exchanged a glance.

‘We’ll have to go on foot from now on, bud. We’re in unknown territory now.’

Toothless dropped his ears and wings a little, before growling softly in protest.

‘Come on, you’re supposed to be a secret, remember? At least you’ll get some exercise on the ground – which I’m guessing you’ve not really had in ages.’

Toothless just growled again. Hiccup sighed and undid his helmet, before taking out his fur cloak and wrapping it around his neck and shoulders. He unstrapped one of the bags from Toothless, which was the one he would use for travel.

‘Might as well pretend to look normal. Nothing screams suspicious like a lonely wanderer that wears dragonscale armor with no backpack.’

Toothless snorted as Hiccup led the way, choosing a path that kept them out of sight. He unsheathed the dormant Inferno blade to deal with branches, tightening his backpack as he examined the dark forest and thick bushes – along with many potential sharp branches at eye level. According to his map they were still at least a dozen miles from the nearest town.

‘Sorry, Toothless, but this is not gonna be fun.’

* * *

Hiccup did his best to clear a path for Toothless through the forest, and his helmet meant he didn’t have to suffer through the usual cuts and branches in the face. Unfortunately, Toothless had no such luck, and while the branches didn’t actually cut through his thick skin, the frequent yelps and growls signalled Hiccup that yes, this was not fun for him. He let his dragon sit still in a relatively open spot to find alternate paths through, but after several searches left and right it was clear the forest was as thick as it was in all directions. They spent another couple of hours pushing through the forest before they had to stop. Once Hiccup sat down on a rock, Toothless climbed up the nearest tree he could.

‘Hey, careful! Make sure you’re not spotted!’

Toothless was only out of view for a minute before hopping back down. One look at him and Hiccup knew they had not made any decent progress.

‘Seriously? Still no end to this forest? What about some buildings? Anything...?’

Toothless’ frills folded back with annoyance, though more toward their situation than anything else. The dragon twitched and then began to scratch himself as some leaves and twigs were still stuck in his scales.

Hiccup took out his map again. Even if their progress was slow, he’d calculated that they should at least clear the forest within a day, though he had planned for it to be around half that. _I guess New Berk’s forests are far more forgiving than here... no wonder they don’t use that beach. If there’s anyone here at all._

He sighed tiredly as he took a swig from his canteen, also getting up to do the same for Toothless’. Hiccup watched his friend for a moment as the dragon gazed downcast at his paws.

‘I know it’s annoying, Toothless, since we’re so used to flying... but we both know how important this is. If someone like Grimmel spots you, then our whole mission would just get a whole lot more complicated. And dangerous. To the point we might have to go home. You understand, right?’

Toothless was silent for a moment before snorting softly.

Hiccup inhaled and braced himself as he slapped his helmet back on. ‘At least this forest will make it easier to hide how we got here. Hopefully no one will bother checking this beach on my account.’

After several more hours of slogging through the forest, both Hiccup and Toothless grew more agitated as the shadows lengthened and made it even more difficult to navigate the thick vegetation. Hiccup tried to look on the bright side; at least there were no predators or other dangerous animals bothering them, but that was a given with Toothless’ presence.

Thankfully, just as the shadows threatened to halt their progress, the forest thinned enough to give them some breathing room. Emerging into a clearing, they could see the evening stars starting to shine overhead. Hiccup sat on a flat rock while Toothless tried to find a suitable spot to sit, but there was a lot of loose dirt around the rock. Hiccup yelped indignantly as Toothless clambered onto the rock roughly, nearly pushing Hiccup right off.

‘Ugh...’

Hiccup gave up trying to sit comfortably within a couple of seconds, sitting on the ground to let Toothless scratch off excess twigs and leaves. There was a series of hills and one tall rock face – the first sign of high altitude landscape they’d seen in a while, which gave him an idea.

‘Hey, Toothless? You up for some flying?’

The dragon’s eyes widened curiously at him, before narrowing indignantly.

‘Yeah, yeah, I know I said we should avoid flying, but it’s going to be dark soon.’ He pointed up at the rock face. ‘We could use this to check the area. If there’s a human village nearby, I could pose as a hunter and get a room there.’

Toothless growled hopefully.

‘No, I can’t share the room with you! Come on, Toothless.’

The dragon grinned before Hiccup sighed and continued.

‘Or... I could make a fire nearby without them getting too suspicious, if you know what I mean. I think we’d rather get some cooked meat then raw.’

Toothless tilted his head nonchalantly before returning his attention to a leaf stuck between his front toes. Hiccup approached the dragon and attempted to squeeze his backside into what little free space there was.

‘Might as well rest here until dark.’

* * *

Once night fell, the pair flanked the village behind the rock face as Toothless gradually flew up to rock outcrops on the opposite side, shielding them from view from the village until the very top. Once they could see clearly over the forest, the two pressed themselves down to study the area.

The village wasn’t small enough to be really tightly knit, but not big enough to be a town. Compared to old Berk, it had nearly as many buildings. One obvious difference to them was that the buildings looked quite old, especially at the edges of the village, though the oldest looked quite sturdy with grey, stone walls. He rested his chin on his upright hand and sighed wistfully.

_If we had more stone, way back when, maybe we wouldn’t have had to rebuild the houses so many times..._

At first there didn’t seem to be many people moving about, but as they sat and listened quietly, faint voices could be heard in the distance, especially some loudmouths standing outside a two storey building with a balcony. As he watched the people coming in and out of the building, he guessed it was a tavern of some sort.

‘Hmm... If there’s any leads on Night Furies here, that would be a good place to start.’

Toothless brought him back to ground level in under a minute, which did little to calm his nerves. While Hiccup was quite experienced with meeting new people from other lands, the fact that Night Furies may live or die depending on his actions left him very stiff as he packed his backpack for the night. Toothless growled softly as he watched, but Hiccup was too busy running through all possible scenarios that he barely noticed the Night Fury’s concerned gaze. Hiccup patted Toothless’ snout as he strapped his pack on.

‘Take care of yourself, okay?’

Toothless was silent for a second as Hiccup walked away, before edging forward and giving a short, but sharp growl.

Hiccup looked up at him. ‘Hm? What’s wrong?’

Toothless gazed at him worriedly before nudging his belly.

‘I won’t be long, Toothless. Though... I might be staying overnight, depending on how things go.’

Toothless sat back, still gazing at him. Hiccup managed to smile.

‘Worrying about me? I’m not going to be the one in danger. I’m going to pretend to be a dragon hunter, after all...’ He sighed to himself. ‘I’d probably be seen as a hero or something, since dragons have left...’ He looked up at Toothless again. ‘You’re the one who needs to be careful. Stay in the trees, okay? Don’t draw attention to yourself. If you have to leave, I’ll be searching the area around here. You’ll be able to find me, right? I’ll signal you if I have to.’

Toothless slowly inclined his head, reluctantly pulling his gaze away and taking off into the trees.

* * *

As Hiccup found the stone road leading into town, he started to adjust his bearing in a way to seem like a hunter of some sort. But given his cover story, coming off as a tired traveller would be fine, and it would take too much effort to act like someone else. He knew he would seem somewhat young and rather... innocent looking to be a hunter, but he could always go the trapper route if he had to go into more details. And technically, he _was_ hunting dragons.

The entrance to town came in the form of a tall wooden gate, but it didn’t look too sturdy, lit by a couple of torches on poles on top of the wall. He saw a couple of chairs behind the palisades, and called up from the loosely paved road.

‘Hello! Anyone up there?’

He heard someone snort themselves awake, before a helmeted, stocky figure emerged to squint down at him. After a second, the figure opened their visor, though Hiccup could barely make out his face.

‘Hm? A traveller? Not a common sight around ‘ere.’

Hiccup cleared his throat. ‘I’ve been travelling by boat and spent days going through that forest. Can I come in?’

The guard widened his eyes in surprise. ‘You landed on the Endless Straight? That beach is way off any path! Don’t you have a map?’

Hiccup laughed self-consciously. ‘Yeah, but... my sailing isn’t the best. I’m probably going to find another way next time.’

The guard nodded shortly. ‘Welcome to Daler. So... who are ya? You don’t look dangerous, but I’m s’pposed to ask.’

‘Oh, I’m... a hunter, of sorts.’

‘What – deer? Wolf?’

‘Among other things. But that’s the idea, yeah.’

The guard looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging. ‘Eh, come in if you like. This town is kinda boring as it is. Ever since them dragons disappeared back in the day, it’s been real quiet around ‘ere.’

‘I... guess it would be.’

He was lucky the guard didn’t catch the sadness in his voice as the guard had already disappeared, and after a few seconds climbing down a ladder, dragged one of the doors open himself. Hiccup passed by the guard, who was a head shorter than him on closer inspection with a full black beard. The guard closed the gate behind him, before giving him an odd look.

‘Y’know, for a hunter, you don’t really have much hunting gear. The name’s Brunter, by the way.’

‘Hi–... uh, Havoc.’ Ignoring Brunter’s raised brow, he continued. ‘Well... I’m kinda broke. Only got a knife, and a useless sword. My last bow broke on the way here.’

Brunter chuckled shortly. ‘Washing up on the Straight, and breaking your bow? Yer name doesn’t suit you.’

‘My father always said otherwise...’

Brunter looked at him curiously one last time. ‘Well take care of yourself Havoc. I need to return to my rounds.’

Hiccup smiled back. ‘Sure.’

It was still rather dark, but the light stone pavement was easy to see under the torch light, and seemed to be highest around the centre of town. Hiccup spotted a few shop stalls still open, selling goods such as clothing and jewellery, along with the residents passing through the area every now and then. He looked around, but couldn’t spot out the tavern building he’d seen from up high. He went up to the nearest house, with a somewhat older woman knitting on its porch.

‘Excuse me?’

She raised her head with a neutral expression. ‘Can you point me to the tavern?’

‘You a new traveller? Makes sense.’ She pointed up the road. ‘Go straight, take the first right and just hug the right side until you get there. The place is called ‘The Blue Mast’ – should be a big sign dangling. Hard to miss.’

Hiccup smiled and nodded, but she just lowered her head to continue knitting without another word.

He began to relax as he made his way through. The residents barely passed him a glance as he followed the woman’s directions.

_Maybe this won’t be that hard. These people aren’t anywhere near as bad as other places or villages I’ve been to..._

He began to pick up the scent of spilled drinks and bad breath, and followed the hearty voices, and soon enough he found the tall building, a painted sign swinging from the top of the ground floor deck. A hand drawn ship with blue sails accompanied the Blue Mast’s name, written elegantly over the top.

The door wasn’t anything grand or imposing, but he braced himself nonetheless as he opened the door. Upon entering, there was a split second dip in the conversations before him, but after a second it was like nothing happened, and the people inside continued their conversations and booming laughter.

He spotted a few raised glances as he came in, but upon a quick scan, there were a few tables and chairs with groups of men drinking and eating, as well as a few women mixed in, enjoying the drinks and conversation with equal measure. The tavern was relatively full, but there were plenty of empty stools raised next to the counter. Hiccup spotted the barkeep, another older woman with greying brown hair, watch him attentively as he approached. Despite the relief at his anonymity, he couldn’t help but feel some hostile gazes upon him as he took a step towards the bar.

‘Another traveller? Name’s Helga. What can I getcha?’

Hiccup looked at the barrel spouts sticking out of the stone wall behind the barkeep. ‘What have you got?’

Helga began to brush down the wood on her side of the counter. ‘Mainly ale, some mead and cider, and if yer feeling generous, I got a bit of distilled wine in the back if ya want to open a bottle. Though I’m not so sure you’d be able to afford that, given how weathered ya look.’ She squinted and scanned him up and down. ‘Speaking o’ which, how ya going to pay for any of this? Unless ya got some metal coins, you’d need to trade me somethin’.’

Hiccup lowered his head instinctively, glancing around the tavern briefly. Again, everyone seemed to be ignoring his presence, however Hiccup couldn’t help but examine one figure in the corner, all by themself. He guessed it was a man, given the grey hairs glinting against candlelight, with shaggy and unkempt hair. Thankfully, the figure seemed content to just at his glass pint.

He returned his attention to Helga as she cleared her throat, and he took off his back pack to rummage through one of the side pockets, fishing out a small pouch. Helga studied it with interest as he plopped it into his hand, but the clinking sound from within was unfamiliar.

‘I don’t have coins, but I might have something better.’

He carefully unfastened the string to grab one black disc in his fingers, before hiding it in his palm as he put the pouch back. He ducked his head, looked side to side again, and handed her the object.

She stared at it for several seconds, taking care to keep it behind the counter away from prying eyes. ‘Looks like a scale of some kind...’

‘That’s right. It’s a dragon scale.’

She looked him in the eye before scowling a little.

‘Sounds like a tall tale...’ She then gripped the scale tightly. ‘But even if it’s fake, that’s worth far more than a drink. I’ll take that.’ She turned towards a slew of large glasses. ‘Take your pick; that scale will be worth something to a lot of people.’

Hiccup shook his head after a moment. ‘I don’t really need a drink... though I could use a water refill. No, I’m looking for information. What do you know about dragons?’

Helga managed a small chuckle. ‘Not much. Years ago we barely ever saw any, and nowadays it’s like they never existed. Why? You a hunter?’

‘You... could say that.’

‘If that’s true, then I’d say you’re off your rocker.’ She dropped her smile a little. ‘Others like you come through here looking for dragons, but it’s been years since anyone ‘round ‘eres mentioned them.’

While she was talking, she filled a smaller mug with water and set it down. Hiccup took a sip, tightening his grip.

‘So... there haven’t been any dragons sighted around here? What about other villages?’

Helga exhaled tiredly. ‘Like I said, no one has seen ‘em for years. And that’s what I tell every dragon hunter or trapper that asks about them.’ She frowned to herself with some concern. ‘Can’t really blame them too much, though. People like that have pretty much got no homes left, since they been out of work.’ She caught herself and bowed her head apologetically. ‘No offense.’

‘No... It’s alright.’

Hiccup frowned miserably as he gripped his mug, staring down into its flickering reflection, as he couldn’t find the words to ask more. Helga lightened her tone and smiled.

‘Hey, perk up there, kid... Let me know if you have other questions. I run an honest establishment here, and you’ve paid for at least a week’s accommodation.’

Hiccup nodded appreciatively. ‘Thanks... I’ll think about it. If I stayed, though, I’d worry about leaving Toothless alone outside the village.’

‘Oh? Who’s Toothless?’

Panic spread through his entire body in an instant, but he kept his composure and managed an awkward grin after a moment.

‘Oh he’s my d–donkey.’

Helga tilted her head quizzically for a moment before grinning back. ‘Must be an old thing if it’s losing its teeth. But I got no stables or anything, so I can’t help ya there.’

Hiccup deflated as he relaxed. ‘Yeah. That’s, uh, too bad...’

He remained sitting silently as he pondered his next steps. He didn’t want to draw attention, but if he was going to find a Night Fury, he would need some direction. After all, Grimmel’s map didn’t provide much information on places he had unsuccessful hunts, and he wasn’t willing to dig through the journal for fear of what gruesome events he would have to read through.

He felt eyes on him again, and looked around. Apart from Helga, no one seemed to be paying him any mind. As he looked around, he spotted the shaggy figure in the front corner lower his head sharply. Hiccup frowned in confusion before quickly turning away.

‘Helga? I found something to ask.’

The barkeep took a few seconds to finish pouring ale before coming on back. He stayed facing her, but tipped his head back toward the shaggy figure. ‘Who is that? I have a feeling like I’m being given the evil eye.’

She gazed at the figure for a second.

‘Him? A traveller, like you; dunno his name. He hasn’t ordered anything from me, since he got nothing to pay or trade. And yet he’s been coming ‘ere for a few days, somehow getting mead every day. I know he hasn’t been stealin’ from me, but I can’t tolerate him much longer.’

‘Tolerate? Apart from looking at me, he’s minding his own business.’

Helga glanced up with exasperation. ‘Oh, something’ll happen. Just you watch. I may not know his name, but he’s trouble, that one. I’ve worked in this business long enough to tell.’

Hiccup nodded thankfully, glancing at the stranger a few times, but as the minutes passed nothing else happened. Bored, he listened in on the conversations around him, and perked up slightly as he heard ‘dragon’ amongst the cacophony of voices, and looked over to a table behind him. It was a small group of five people, all men, not much older than he was. One of them said it again, and Hiccup soon picked up on their conversation.

‘–Aye, he’s got quite an imagination, but my boy’s shaping up to be a fine hunter. Practically at home outside of home. He bagged his first rabbit yesterday! And he’s only six!’

‘What exactly did he use?’

‘He used a trap... And a knife.’

‘Galvin runs around with a knife?!’

‘Well...er...’

One of the women sighed. ‘I keep telling you those things need to be locked away. At least until he’s older.’

‘He will need to learn to defend himself, though.’

‘From what, though? The bears and wolves in this area stay well enough away.’

‘Well… I don’t usually pick on rumors or gossip, but….’ He leant in, and Hiccup had to move his chair a little. ‘I’ve heard from some of the hunters a dragon might be prowling about.’

Two of the others couldn’t help but let out stifled gasps, but otherwise he only received sceptical glances.

‘As you say; rumors and gossip. There’s been no dragons since… well, since I came of age. Besides, I haven’t heard anything special.’

The browned haired woman looked up with interest. ‘Actually, Inge and I heard something similar. What exactly did they tell you?’

‘Well… they saw it in the trees. It was dark, and they could barely see its shape. All that was obvious were the eyes. It was only for a second, and pretty far away, but they saw them. And it disappeared into the trees.’

‘So it didn’t fly?’

‘Well… no.’

As they continued to speak, Hiccup gestured for Helga, motioning towards the group curiously. ‘Those four... around the table. Can you tell me about them?’

Helga raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. ‘What about them?’

‘I dunno… I’m thinking they might have some dragon trouble. I could use the work… and money, if possible.’

Helga glanced at the group for a second before she shrugged. ‘I guess there’s no harm. Our own hunters seem to skirting the issue, though personally I don’t believe in any dragons bein’ here. But a stranger’s help might be just what they need.’ The put a finger and drew a circular motion, starting with the furthest. ‘The quiet girl is Brenna. The guy with the headband is Brandt. Opposite them are Garth and Inge. Those two have been married for many years and were friends with Brandt for almost as long. At least until…’ She sighed. ‘I won’t say more. You’ll have to ask the rest yourself.’

Hiccup couldn’t help but gulp and look down at his cup. ‘… Maybe when I’ve finished my drink.’

Helga gave him an odd look before returning to cleaning mugs.

The dark haired man, Garth, sat back and folded his arms. ‘Then it’s probably some big wolf or cat we haven’t seen before. Maybe some new species that’s come in to take the dragons’ place.’

The raven-haired woman next to him, Inge, eyed Brandt curiously. ‘Are you sure they tell you anything else? If it really was a dragon, more people ought to know.’

‘That’s what I thought!’ Garth responded, somewhat forcefully. ‘When I asked for more information, he grew extremely tight-lipped. In the end I didn’t get anything more out of him, not even the general area where he was hunting.’

Most of the group shared a collective scowl, Brenna giving Brandt a sympathetic glance. ‘You would think the hunters would be more interested in the safety of the village. I wouldn’t wish Ragna’s fate on anyone else.’

‘Yes… I know Galvin misses her, even though he didn’t get all that much time with her.’ Brandt bowed his head despondently for a moment of silence. ‘If the hunters are not going to search, I say we take it upon ourselves to find it. That’s why I’m teaching Galvin to use a knife and hunt. He’s gotta keep his generation safe… from…’

Hiccup froze, only just realising cracks forming at the edges of his mug. For a moment, he believed he was found out, or at least attracted the wrong kind of attention. Then a heavy footstep from the other end of the room drew his eyes to the source.

The figure in the corner had gotten up, and as he drew closer the smell was impalpable. His shaggy, greying hair fell to his shoulders, and he stood a good six feet tall. He was built just like a Viking, reminding Hiccup of Stoick somewhat. Hiccup couldn’t but turn away and wrinkle his nose as the figure approached the table, still listening in on the table behind him.

‘Safe from what?’

Despite the clear odour of alcohol hanging over him, the shaggy man’s words were sharp and clear. The table occupants drew their chairs away as the man stood and rested a thick fingered hand on the surface. He grunted with annoyance at their silence.

‘Why the secrecy? Did you not just say the whole village should know?’

It took a moment before Inge finally responded.

‘You’re not part of the village.’

The figure scoffed with amusement. ‘A stranger like me is fair game, huh? But when it comes to loved ones you’re willing to root and kill some animal that has done nothing but look at a hunter.’

Brandt narrowed his eyes. ‘You were eavesdropping on us?’

‘The hair might have fooled you, but these ears can pick out some voices over many others. Especially ones that mention dragons.’

Garth studied the stranger for a moment, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction. ‘Hmm… would you be interested in helping us, then? If the hunters around here aren’t willing to do the job, then maybe you would?’

Hiccup couldn’t help but turn around and look at him. Either Garth was intentionally egging the shaggy guy on, or he was stupider than he looked.

He couldn’t see the stranger’s face, but as the figure turned his large head, he was probably looking at Garth the same way. After a couple of seconds, he clenched his hand and brought it down with a sharp crack, breaking the table in half. Everyone at the table jumped up from their seats and away from him. Hiccup quickly turned around, spotting Helga now scowling at the scene unfolding.

He didn’t raise his voice, but Hiccup could hear trembling in the shaggy man’s retort.

‘No. I want you... and all your _friends_ to stay away from that creature.’

The group stared at their ruined table for a second, before Brandt scowled up defiantly.

‘We need to keep this village safe! Especially if it’s a dragon!’

‘I’d say the opposite. I’d say the dragon needs to be kept safe from the village.’ His voice shifted from cold to downright menacing. ‘Or more specifically… people like you.’

The brunette Brenna paled, but the Brandt stood up straight and looked him in the eye. ‘Is that a threat?’

‘And what if it is?’

It was at this point that much of the room was silent, and a voice from behind the counter barked sharply.

‘Hey!’

Helga had left the counter before Hiccup even noticed, standing next to the shaggy stranger while also ready to shield the group if necessary. ‘If yous are lookin for a fight, take it outside! I’ve already lost one table.’ She eyed the splinters on the floor. ‘Speakin’ of which, who’s going to pay for this?’

There was a terse pause for a few seconds before the shaggy figure pulled a small pouch from his thick fur cloak and dropped a few coins into her hands.

Helga held her hands on her hips, glaring daggers up at the man, but he ignored her, still glaring at Brandt in a similar manner.

‘I’m not leaving until you’re taught a lesson.’

The whole tavern was silent for a good half a minute. Brandt shifted a couple of times, but his friends warded him off with warning looks.

‘Enough’s enough.’ Helga stepped in front of the group. ‘My customers here aren’t stupid enough to be goaded into your threat, so just give it up and leave. Or do you plan to fight everyone in the room?’

Hiccup quickly noted that a lot of hostile gazes were being thrown at the stranger from all around the room. He wasn’t sure if they overheard the entire discussion, or merely supporting one of their fellow villagers, but they looked ready to protect Brandt if it escalated any further.

The stranger scanned the room as well, and turned to leave. The room began to simmer down as he did, but just before he went out the door, he called over his shoulder.

‘It was Galvin, wasn’t it?’ Brandt’s table fell silent again. ‘No mother, and his father is off drinking... shame if something happened to him.’

Brandt blanched as he stared after him.

‘Wh-what?! Explain yourself!’

But the door was already swinging shut. Brandt stared for several seconds in stunned silence before getting up and rushing through the door.

‘Brandt!’

Brenna and the others hurried after him, and Helga didn’t even bother asking them for their payment.

A few more worried glances were shot at the door, but no one else got up to follow. Hiccup listened, but there was no sound. A mixture of curiosity, dread and concern drove him to get up hastily.

‘Thanks for the info, Helga.’

She merely grunted as he tightened his pack and followed the group outside.

Looking around, he spotted several figures in the torch light disappear around a corner in a hurry, against a backdrop of a stone building that on closer inspection appeared to be an entrance to a forge. Looking over the road, however, Hiccup spotted several scattered figures around a series of houses in a row, their eyes following his own quarry.

Hiccup hurried after them as fast as he could. Though he had lost sight of them, he heard yelling and recognised the voices not too far up the road and into the residential area, where the buildings and roads grew more chaotic and more enclosed.

The yells grew more desperate as the sounds grew closer. Hiccup stumbled and almost fell when several crashes rang out, as if several wooden objects had just been smashed against rock.

As Hiccup drew closer, he slid between the alleyways only to find Brenna, Garth and Inge sprawled in the dirt with large crates, both intact and smashed, spread over them. Looking up to his left, there were remains of scaffolding with many crates still sitting on a rocky ledge. A dozen or so animal skins had spilt onto the ground, with Garth seemingly having the crate smashed on his head.

Hiccup kneeled to help them up, Brenna and Inge groaning with pain while Garth was still dazed on the ground.

‘What happened? Where’s your friend?’

Brenna looked up at him curiously. ‘Who... are you? Nevermind... Brandt was...?’

Then Hiccup noticed distant sound of fist fighting. While Hiccup was somewhat used to this, as both festive and contests held such things, this sounded... wrong. Hiccup pulled Garth up to a sitting position as he passed, hurrying forward, following the yells and cries of pain that fell silent as he ran forward.

Weaving further between the houses, he found the two against the wall; an area with no guard posts or anyone nearby. Hiccup’s throat tightened as he spotted blood on the grass, and Brandt was face down in it while the other stood over him.

Hiccup froze. He reached for his sword, but he couldn’t bring himself to touch the handle. The stranger stood over Brandt, fists clenched with fury, and Hiccup frowned as he watched. Some of Brandt’s blood was smudged on his knuckles.

The stranger turned sideward to look at him. They met each other’s eyes for several seconds. Hiccup stood his ground, but gradually moved his hand away from his weapon. The gaze was not hostile – rather indifferent at first. And then his beard twitched... in a way that he was smiling?

_What’s that supposed to mean? Is my arrival... convenient?_

The stranger looked past him as more footsteps approached. He stepped over Brandt to pick up what Hiccup guessed was an axe. Hiccup ran forward in alarm, but the stranger went to the wall instead of Brandt. He hacked at the wall in one cleaving strike before charging through shoulder-first. His heavy footsteps thudded away before the wall palisade hit the ground.

Hiccup quickly knelt and turned Brandt over as his friends arrived. He was bruised, bloody, and barely conscious.

Hiccup looked up at Garth, whose grimace was guarded but somewhat grateful.

‘Do you guys have a healer or alchemist of some kind?’

Garth didn’t answer immediately, as he circled around and picked Brandt up after a strained grunt and slight wobble.

‘We should get him home. His mother should be able to help.’

‘Which way?’

Inge pointed and broke into a power walk back down the main road. ‘This way...’

Brenna glanced at Brandt every now and then, who was slipping in and out of lucidity and frequent groaning. Hiccup glanced back to make sure they weren’t being followed.

‘Someone will need to something about that wall,’ Inge muttered as they went, ‘along with that man.’

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably as Garth shot a look his way. Did they really expect him to take on a man twice his size?

Garth still seemed dazed from the crates, but steadily they gained a brisk pace and after only a few minutes found a house with red paint formed in a crest over its roof. There was a blond-haired boy on the porch, who flashed a small smile at Inge, which fell in alarm when Garth came up the steps.

‘Auntie Inge? What happened to my Dad?!’

Inge knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder, while Galvin watched Garth take his father inside. ‘He’ll be fine... but where is your grandmother?’

Galvin took a glance at Hiccup at the others before rushing inside after Garth. Hiccup kept his distance as he watched, but from the sounds inside the grandmother, after a brief period of alarm, got to dressing his wounds.

After about a minute, things seemed to have calmed down enough that Garth nodded to them, and they sighed with relief. Hiccup returned a small smile, gazing off back towards the wall. He was far more interested in that stranger, and what he wanted with that dragon.

_Wait, why am I here again? That’s right..._

‘Uh... hey.’ He looked back to Inge, who grimaced clumsily. ‘We never introduced ourselves back there.’ She held out a hand, and Hiccup shook it. ‘Inge.’

‘Hi-Havoc.’ He smiled back awkwardly. ‘I already know your names... I asked Helga from the tavern back there.’

Inge and Brenna both frowned slightly. ‘You asked about us?’ Brenna repeated. ‘What for?’

‘Well, I overheard you guys talking about dragons, and I thought... well...’

He could feel their eyes tracing his clothing and weapon. Both of them held a trace of suspicion – until they spotted the pack strapped to his hip.

‘Wait... is that a bag... made of dragon scales?’

Hiccup’s hand flew to his bag, momentary panic quickly subdued by his cover identity taking over.

‘Well... yes. It’s years old but still in great condition. It came from... a Thunderdrum. A tidal class dragon. Ever heard of them?’

Inge and Brenna glanced at each other for a moment, both shaking their heads a little, before returning their eager gazes to him.

‘Well, thanks for your help with Brandt,’ Inge began. ‘That brute was faster than he looked!’

‘Could you possibly pass a word to the guard and the wall?’ Brenna asked.

Before he answered, Inge continued. ‘And do something about him. Help the guards track him down. That man is a menace!’

‘Well, I can understand that part, given what happened to Brandt...’ Hiccup tried to disguise the curiosity welling up in him, ‘what has he done apart from this?’

Brenna raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘Are you serious? He didn’t do anything before, but just then, he made threats, destroyed some of the town’s property, compromised its defences, threatened to harm a child, and beat Brandt half to death! He’s a criminal, and the guards need to know.’

Inge nodded vehemently. ‘The thing is, I don’t really understand why he went through all that to get to Brandt. None of us know him... or perhaps he’s just mad.’

Brenna looked back to Hiccup. ‘So... are you a dragon hunter? Is that why you asked after us?’

Hiccup hesitated. ‘I mean... technically? Yes, I am a dragon hunter.’

‘Would you be willing to find that creature, and find out if it’s a dragon? And if so–‘

Hiccup held up a hand. ‘I’ve heard that dragons – real dragons – haven’t been seen for years. I’m not going to promise to kill something if I don’t even know what it is.’

Inge folded her arms, sighing with slight disappointment. ‘I suppose that makes sense. Still, you’re almost as tongue-tied as those other hunters, Havoc.’

‘Well... if strangers like that big guy go around attacking people, especially over dragons, I want to keep a low profile.’

The women nodded. ‘Fair enough,’ Brenna continued, ‘so what do you need to know?’

‘About what those hunters saw – the eyes. Is that all they saw? And can you go into any more detail?’

Inge nodded as she frowned thoughtfully. ‘They did see a shape – but it didn’t sound like a wolf or bear. Sounded like those big cats you hear about from travellers – problem is none normally live around here. Apart from that, though they only described the eyes.’

‘I overheard already that the hunters saw it for only a second. Going back to the eyes – what about shape? Colour?’

Brenna spoke when Inge frowned again. ‘It sounds like Brandt didn’t get any straight answers either... Though we kept our distance, and I managed to hear the eyes were too big to be a wolf or bear. Oval shaped. They didn’t say what colour they were, but they did have slits. Also like a cat’s. Seemed to creep them out, too.’

Hiccup thought immediately of Toothless’ eyes, at least when they first met, and he couldn’t help but smile a little bit.

‘Do you know where?’

They shook their heads. ‘That’s about all we can give you.’ Inge nodded expectantly. ‘So – will you deliver the message to the guards, at least? We’d rather stay and make sure Brandt is alright.’

Hiccup lowered his eyes thoughtfully. Apart from Brandt, that stranger might be his best lead, as it sounded, despite the extreme method, that the stranger wanted to protect the dragon. But he also had reservations about even talking to such a violent man. On the other hand, if he said he was going to be hunting for both the stranger and a possible dragon, it would give him an excuse to stick around, and if he did manage to find the dragon, they could just leave.

‘I’ll pass on the message,’ Hiccup began, ‘and I might be interested in helping them find that criminal. But I’ll probably need the guards’ help.’

Inge and Brenna smiled in appreciation as Hiccup turned back towards the road. ‘Well, good luck. Thanks for your help with Brandt, and let us know if we can help you any more in return.’

Hiccup smiled back, quickly dropping it as he rounded the corner, immediately sighing tiredly.

_I wish I could just tell them what dragons are really like... but I can’t risk any real hunters hearing about this._

He hurried back to the town entrance, reporting to Brunter at the entrance the events that transpired. After relaying the description of the stranger, which Hiccup guessed Brunter already knew from the look on his face, exited the village with the story of checking on the goods he left behind at camp. Brunter sent him off with a curious shrug as he made his way towards the cliff he’d left Toothless near, gracious enough to lend him a torch for the journey.

_I doubt that guy would hurt Toothless – or even find him – but I should check on him just in case._

* * *

Hiccup used the torch’s light to return to the clearing he left Toothless in, finding his way along the road and through the trees with some difficulty, but managed to follow tree markings he’d made with his sword along the way.

When he’d finally made it to the clearing, he sat for a while. If Toothless was doing what he thought he was doing, he’d be perched somewhere high enough that it would be easy to see him sitting in the middle. Or maybe he was off catching fish – or having more difficulty than normal.

He waited for another ten minutes before standing up. He pulled out Inferno, and figured now was as good a time as any.

He pulled out a small waterskin from his backpack – however, this one was far heavier than a typical waterskin. He undid the seal and carefully dripped a line of the liquid along the blade’s edges, keeping it level as he finished and put the waterskin away. He struck the lighter at the blade’s edge, and while sparks flew, the saliva didn’t ignite.

Hiccup frowned, and then tried again. The blade glowed for a split second, but didn’t ignite. He hoped it was merely the mechanism being cold and unused for so many years, but if the saliva didn’t work, he was out of luck. He fought the urge to call out; it would be unfortunate if some lone hunter found he was in league with a dragon lurking around the town.

He struck the lighter three more times, and the entire blade lit up with a purple hue, blue and red flames fanning from the edges. He raised it and waved it a couple of times before it went out. He gripped and turned the handle.

_I guess it still needs more work. Night Fury saliva isn’t known for its flammability, after all._

After several seconds he spotted a familiar shape descend from the same Cliffside they’d flew up before. However, Toothless descended into the trees ahead of him instead of meeting him in the clearing, and Hiccup had no way to reach him without going into the thick forest again without more torch fuel.

_What’s he doing? I don’t get it..._

He looked around warily. If Toothless wasn’t approaching him, it probably meant he wasn’t alone. He didn’t remember anyone following him, especially since Brunter had shut the gate behind him. No one else had left with him... unless...

His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. It was faint, but he could smell... alcohol. The smell grew stronger as the seconds lengthened. He fought the urge to run; hopefully Toothless was close enough to help if there was any sign of danger.

He heard heavy footsteps approach, shifting through grass and dirt behind him.

‘So... Havoc, was it?’

Hiccup spun around, feigning surprise. ‘What? Where did you come from?!’

‘From Daler.’ The stranger’s voice was not as hostile as before, but Hiccup could feel rage boiling just below the surface, as if one wrong word from Hiccup would end their conversation right there. Hiccup examined him as he stepped into the moonlight – he knew he wouldn’t come out on top in a straight fight. ‘Where you came from as well, I presume?’

Hiccup cleared his throat uncomfortably, angling Inferno in front of him defensively. ‘Yes, well... the guards could be coming after soon enough.’

‘And are you doing their dirty work?’ The stranger’s brown eyes narrowed. ‘I thought you looked odd, but I didn’t think you would be stupid enough to come after me by yourself.’

Hiccup kept facing forward, but glanced around quickly. ‘Were you followed?’

‘What do you care? You’re likely stalling for time for some of your hunter friends to come out.’

There was a moment of silence before Hiccup spoke. ‘I don’t have any friends here. I’ve only recently arrived.’

‘For what purpose? To hunt dragons?’

_Jeez, this guy’s not giving me any breathing room..._

‘To find dragons, yes. But from what I saw... you want to protect them. Why is that?’

The stranger tensed, gripping his axe handle harder. ‘Is it not obvious?! They’re all gone, because no one bothered to protect them while they were still alive. And going by hunter logic, the rarer the prey, the more rewarding the hunt. Is it not like that for you?!’

Hiccup was silent. He couldn’t tell the truth; not if this stranger couldn’t be trusted.

‘Well?’ The stranger barked. ‘I thought all dragon slayers were proud to be called as such.’

‘I’m’ Hiccup groaned, conflicted, ‘... not a dragon slayer. I won’t... I can’t kill dragons.’

The stranger was taken aback, his grip loosening considerably. But his eyes narrowed quickly. ‘So... what? You trap them and sell them to people who’d hang their head as a trophy? Just because you don’t kill them yourself, does not make you any less responsible.’

‘I... I don’t... that’s not what I...’

They both froze as many leaves shifted behind them. Hiccup glanced backwards, and the trees before them swayed ever so slightly.

_No! Toothless, what are you...?_

Toothless’ green eyes quickly emerged from the trees, but what alarmed Hiccup the most was that they were normal and round, despite the stranger being in clear view. Hiccup quickly turned around and pushed against dragon’s snout forcefully. ‘Get out of here! We have no idea... if we can...’

Toothless wouldn’t budge, and his gaze went straight past him to focus on the stranger. Toothless wiggled his head forcefully with some annoyance, pointing his head back towards the stranger.

Hiccup slowly looked back at the stranger, who was staring with his mouth wide open. His axe was lowered to the ground. All anger had drained from him, and the longer Hiccup watched him, the more he thought the stranger would cry. It was so strange that Hiccup stared at him in bewilderment.

‘Can we trust him, Toothless?’

‘Toothless... so that’s its name...?’

Hiccup stood back a little bit from the Night Fury, who continued to gaze at him hopefully.

_I... suppose it’s obvious he cares about dragons. Since he went that far against Brandt... but still...!_

Hiccup turned around reluctantly, still keeping himself between the stranger and Toothless.

‘First off... what’s your name?’

The stranger closed his mouth and frowned. ‘It’s easier to sow fear when the people don’t know your name.’

‘Yeah... well that’s not going to work.’ Hiccup frowned back. ‘Toothless may trust you – for some reason – but I’ve seen what you can do. That guy... Brandt. Why’d you do that? He could have died! In front of his son, no less.’

The stranger was silent for a moment, as he glanced from Hiccup to Toothless, the dragon inclining his head encouragingly. ‘Fine. My name is Endre.’

Hiccup waited for a second before raising a curious eyebrow. ‘Endre, son of...?’

Endre’s beard contorted with newfound anger. ‘I don’t speak of him, and neither should you.’

Hiccup was slightly taken aback. ‘Sorry.’

‘What about you? Since I gave you mine, it’s only fair you give me yours.’

‘...Hiccup.’

The warrior’s eyes glinted with amusement for a moment, before shrugging indifferently. ‘So I attacked him. What’s the problem?’

‘You provoked him! By threatening his son! Were you seriously going to hurt that kid just to get to Brandt?’

Endre’s beard twitched with slight amusement. ‘If it didn’t get Brandt out of that bar, then there wouldn’t have been any point, since he wouldn’t have cared.’

‘What do you have against Brandt? Because he wants to protect the village–‘

‘Because “protecting” the village means killing anything that evokes fear, regardless of whether the dragon or creature is responsible. Someone like him deserves to die... but killing him would have riled up the village against the dragon.’

‘But he doesn’t deserve to die just because of that!’

Endre slammed his axe hilt into the ground. ‘His wife died while hunting dragons. And for that, he killed the dragon that attacked her, even though it was only defending itself. As if it had no right! This was a time when dragons were already disappearing, and yet...’

Hiccup frowned sadly as Endre continued.

‘Even now after the dragons have all but disappeared, all these people care about is whether their daily lives go uninterrupted.’ His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists. ‘I... _hate_ their apathy. And there’s a real possibility one dragon is still alive here, but... I can’t protect it forever. Which, luck would have it, brings me to you two.’

Hiccup slowly lowered his sword. ‘I’m looking for that dragon to get it away from humans and back with its own kind. And Toothless here–‘ he patted the dragon’s scalp, ‘is helping me find them.’

‘Them?’ Endre echoed hopefully.

Hiccup grimaced. ‘Gah! Them being...’ He sighed. ‘Look, I don’t need to tell you how important it is to find this dragon, or any dragons like it. I have good reason to believe they could be the last of their kind, and for years I thought they were wiped out by dragon slayers. But I’ve recently found information of those that may have survived, but no one can know what I’m really doing here or Toothless can’t move around freely. If there are still hunters... _real_ hunters, then they can’t find Toothless, or any of the dragons we’re trying to find. Understand?’

Endre nodded with clear eyes. ‘Of course. You might have told me too much already. I haven’t heard of any dragon hunters left, at least around here, but I imagine they would be desperate to find any remaining dragons, and if they captured you or me... they might be willing to torture for information.’

Hiccup blanched. ‘I... didn’t really want to know that. But you have a point.’

They both had lowered their weapons to the point where Hiccup sheathed his. ‘Do you know where the dragon could be?’

‘Like you saw at the tavern, I listen in on anything dragon related in the town. So yes... I do have a good idea where it roams. Do you have a map?’

Hiccup reluctantly unfolded his map. He still wasn’t completely sure about Endre, but he had no better option. He got out his charcoal stencil and let Endre take it in massive hand. Hiccup had to stifle his breath and hold his nose as Endre drew a border, as after their confrontation the scent of alcohol was almost unbearable.

Hiccup was relieved when Endre stood up, and backed away from his self-consciously. Hiccup studied his map. Thankfully, Endre’s writing hand was light but clearly marked circular regions mainly to the east of Daler. The area was a bit too large for his liking, but he knew what he had signed up for when searching for flying dragons.

‘...Thanks.’ He managed to utter sheepishly, as he gathered the maps protectively.

Endre grunted awkwardly in response. ‘I’ve never been able to find it, myself. But that’s more likely because of my...’ he cleared his throat, ‘obvious giveaway.’

Without another word, Endre turned to leave. ‘You should go. The villagers will be wondering where you are, and you’ll probably want to take the dragon and leave before they realise what you’re doing.’

‘What about you?’

‘That’s none of your concern... for now.’

_For now? Hmm..._

‘Oh, and... Toothless, was it?’ Endre grunted over his shoulder. ‘Apparently, you’re known as a donkey up in Daler. Might want to ask your friend.’

Hiccup blinked. Did this guy just make a joke?

Before he could make sense of it, Endre was gone. He looked around, only to be met with Toothless’ stern glare.

‘What? Why’re you looking at me like that?’

Toothless growled.

‘I couldn’t tell them you were a dragon!’ He checked his backpack and made sure he’d left nothing behind in the village, whilst avoiding Toothless’ annoyed gaze. ‘Let’s just go.’

He spared one last look to the trees. _I wonder if we’ll see him again?_


	3. Duskwing

After a rest that night and another round of rations, Hiccup and Toothless kept their distance from Daler in the following days. While Hiccup internally wished he could reveal Toothless and teach the town about dragons, for the sake of the mission it would be better if the residents thought he had been killed in the wilderness by either the dragon or the strange warrior himself.

They aimed to reach the southern edge of the area the stranger had marked on their map, as there was a stream running from north to south that coiled around from the eastern edge. Since it didn’t mark elevation or mountaintops very well, the stream would likely be the only sure way to find their way around. Using this information, however, Hiccup was able to mark the first peak he and Toothless had used in case he ever wanted to return to the town.

The forest was not as thick going east, and by the morning two days after leaving town, they emerged from the shadows of the forest to the sound of flowing water. It was faint, and the stream was rather small, but the water was safe to drink and Hiccup now had a way to refill water without returning to town. As Toothless shameless poked his head and body into the water in an attempt to wash himself, Hiccup looked around for some sort of landmark. The area was open to the air, and he found a flat rock facing up to the sky.

‘Hey Toothless! I could use-’

He stopped just as the Night Fury perked his head up curiously. Curiosity turned to confusion as Hiccup slowly shook his head to himself.

_It’d be too risky to burn a mark into a rock… after all, what can do that, apart from a dragon?_

‘Never mind.’

Toothless continued to watch him for a few seconds before said dragon stuck his head into the water again.

Hiccup gripped his sword and slowly unsheathed it, tilting it to each side ponderously. He soon put it away, as it was not worth damaging the sword for something so mundane.

He looked around for other rocks closer to the stream’s bank, and while keeping clear of Toothless’ splashes, he dug a little and found several rocks with jagged edges. Taking the largest he could find that he could lift, he closed his eyes, and grasped with both hands with all his strength to scrape a large long mark across its surface. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was a pathetically thin line that was broken in several places. He frowned and tried again, and for several minutes he gradually carved more lines over the same, only marginally improving on the previous mark. After several minutes, Hiccup leaned heavily on the rock, tired and annoyed.

Toothless walked up to the rock and sniffed at the rocks at Hiccup’s feet. The dragon glanced between the rock in Hiccup’s hands and the marks on the rock, and immediately searched around the rock for something bigger. Hiccup watched with a small smile as Toothless grabbed a long, thin rock in his mouth and attempted to scratch the larger one, only for it to break and pieces falling out of his jaw. Growling with annoyance, Toothless experimented in other ways, but it quickly became obvious that using his mouth was not going to work. Those that fit in his mouth broke, and others were too heavy for him to lift properly. Toothless then took these thicker rocks and grasped them between his front paws, and started slamming it into the rock repeatedly. Hiccup flinched at the unpleasant scraping, but when Toothless stopped and dropped his rock, he examined the dragon’s handiwork. There was really no pattern to it like he originally wanted, but the numerous cracks and gashes in the surface did stand out pretty well.

‘It wasn’t what I had in mind, but it’ll do.’

Toothless let out a satisfied grunt, and spontaneously shook himself and fanned his wings, only for Hiccup to cop a good deal of dirt and mud to his head. Hiccup groaned, but Toothless croaked with amusement.

‘Great. Thanks for that.’

He wiped away the mud with some difficulty, keeping his distance from the dragon drying himself as he took out his map. He traced their current position on the stream northeast to where the stream again intersected with their search area. He took a quick look at the sky, before standing up and walking over to Toothless and patting his shoulder.

‘Come on, bud. We should start looking around.’ He frowned sympathetically. ‘I don’t know if you’ve ever seen another Night Fury before, but I’m going to be relying on you.’

Toothless eagerly trotted beside him as the duo crossed the stream and headed northeast.

* * *

The pair used the curving stream as a point of reference to search the south-eastern area from top to bottom. They quickly worked a pattern of tracking down footprints that were at all similar to Toothless’, however for a couple of hours they found nothing but footprints of bears and wolves, along with many more hoof marks. They both kept an eye out on the tree branches overhead, and if necessary Toothless would climb up some distance to check upper branches, but there was no sign of any other dragons.

Hiccup internally hoped that Toothless would pick up a scent of some sort. He couldn’t be sure if Toothless had ever met another Night Fury, but he knew at the very least Toothless had the best chance of finding another by scent. If Light Furies and Night Furies smelled similar, there could be a chance – however, as they went along, Toothless showed no sign of picking up anything apart from sight.

That is, until they reached an unusually large pile of sticks. While it was not too high, barely up to Hiccup’s kneecap, the dirt in the area was thinner and more loose than the soil surrounding it. After a few seconds of waiting, Toothless wasted no time in having a closer look, flinching slightly as he poked himself in the eye pushing his head through the structure. Hiccup stayed behind him, hand on his hip in case any unwanted guests were to appear.

Toothless quickly found the dirt sloping downwards, though most of the wood had clogged it up. He immediately started to dig them out, nostrils flaring slightly.

Hiccup knelt for a closer look. ‘What is it, Toothless? Smell something?’

He helped the dragon out a little bit by pulling the wood on the surface away from the enlarging hole while Toothless messily crushed and pulled both dirt and wood together flying up behind him. He partially hoped they would find nothing here – a dragon making a nest on the ground in such an exposed manner would be no obstacle to most dragon hunters, let alone Grimmel.

Finally, Toothless stopped digging, but that didn’t stop him from pushing himself further into the burrow. Hiccup watched worriedly as the dragon slid further and further in until only his tail fin was visible from above. And then Toothless gave a muffled yelp and the dirt around the hole shook and a layer fell. Hiccup couldn’t help but smirk a little.

‘Mind your head.’

Toothless couldn’t see to go any further, and he backed out and in again, presumably because there was a branching bath below. But soon enough the dragon yelped again and more dirt shook from above, and Hiccup sighed, wiping a hand down his forehead and nose.

Toothless began to growl in frustration, and from the location of his growls Hiccup guessed there were only two paths. He sighed with relief, if tinged with slight disappointment.

‘That’s enough, Toothless.’ He made his way down and tapped Toothless’ tailfin joint. ‘Let me have a look.’

Hiccup backed away has Toothless fell silent. The dragon shook his head free of the dirt before glancing at his partner curiously.

Hiccup stared at the dark entrance for a moment. ‘Wow, it’s pitch dark in there... couldn’t you have used your echolocation or something?’

Toothless answered by edging his head forward and nudging the back of his leg, and Hiccup couldn’t help but wave his arms slightly at the unexpected angle.

‘Hey, hold up! I can’t see anything, so what’s the point...?’

Toothless just nudged him again, and Hiccup groaned tiredly before getting on all fours.

‘Fiiine...’

Hiccup half-expected Toothless to collapse the entire thing on top of him while he went in, but the Night Fury thankfully kept still and watched him at a safe distance. He kept his fingers close to himself; not being able to see put some rather unsettling images of what he might find into his head.

However, he quickly frowned as he inhaled through his nose. The smell was sharp and distinct, but not unpleasant. As he went in a little further, it seemed familiar. Like Toothless, it smelt like clean leather, though it wasn’t as thick as Toothless’ musk.

He stayed for a minute longer before backing out, standing up awkwardly to face Toothless, who was watching him hopefully.

‘That smell... familiar, isn’t it?’ He grinned. ‘Then we’re on the right track.’

Toothless nodded enthusiastically while Hiccup took out his map. He marked their position with a simple upside-down “U” underscored by a line to indicate ground. Hiccup sucked in a breath with renewed vigour.

‘Let’s head north. If we can find more burrows like this, I could plot out this Night Fury’s hunting spots.’ He frowned to himself worriedly as he fell into a trot behind Toothless. ‘I just hope we’re not too late.’

* * *

Now that Toothless had picked up the scent of the other dragon, he moved more confidently through the search area, with Hiccup now sometimes struggling to keep up – as he had to stay on the ground when Toothless’ path went up large tree trunks. Toothless then went the unnecessary step of hanging himself from the trees, as if trying to get a feel for the branches and if another Night Fury had been there. They got something out of it, though: Hiccup did find a couple of black scales left on the ground below.

They camped out that night without a fire, and spent the next day tracing paths around the edges of their search area. They didn’t find any more burrows, but Toothless found several trees that began to trace a path on Hiccup’s map. Some other places took some time for Toothless to find, as the dragon went in several circles before finding spots closer to the ground, which were most often hidden thickets or carved out hollows of the larger trees.

After camping another night and rounding out the area towards the centre, they finally had a picture of the Night Fury’s path and where it would hunt and rest, so long as Endre’s information about its limits were accurate. Unfortunately, while they found signs of recent dragon activity, neither of them saw or heard any actual movement. Hiccup had kept his ears trained for flapping wings whilst keeping an eye on Toothless, but they had so far turned up nothing.

The pair found themselves resting in a small grassy clearing with low, smooth rocks that Toothless was able to sunbathe on. Hiccup sat on another, poring over his map, running his finger over all possible paths the Night Fury could take, and if he and Toothless could intercept it.

As time passed and the sun overhead bore down on them, Hiccup took another swig of water and pried some of his heavier items alongside Toothless’ saddle, as after musing over his documents for several minutes soon decided they weren’t moving any time soon. Hiccup really hadn’t thought ahead of simply combing the area for the dragon, when in reality the dragon must have been very elusive for Grimmel to have missed it. Then again, Endre may have had a hand in that too, but he was in no mood to go hunting for a human for answers as well.

As minutes soon turned to hours and the sun forced Hiccup into the shade, the young Viking grew tense. In the back of his mind, he knew that Toothless was exposed the longer they stayed put, but he saw no pattern in the target Night Fury’s movements. He couldn’t pinpoint how long ago the Night Fury had been at any of the areas they’d checked, though he imagined Toothless might, if only the dragon could speak his language.

And then there was the possibility of the Night Fury deliberately avoiding Toothless. He could imagine why it would stay away from him and other humans, but he had little idea of how Night Furies operated in terms of social structure. Toothless certainly did not shy away from his dragon companions in the past, and from what he saw, the other Light Furies hung around in small groups, though they kept to themselves for the most part. If Night Furies were solitary by nature when it came to their own species, that would make things a lot more difficult than Hiccup anticipated.

He finally got tired of staring at his map, folding it lightly and pushing it to the side and out of sight, if only for a moment, groaning to himself. Then he took to rapping his temple with his knuckles.

‘Think, Hiccup. Think!’ _Searching the entire area from top to bottom didn’t work… now what?_

He watched Toothless sunbathing for a minute before an idea popped into his head.

_We’re gonna have to lure it out somehow. Maybe Toothless can…?_

He got up and tried to find a better vantage point and keeping himself hidden. Toothess raised his head to watch him curiously, and Hiccup lowered open hands towards the dragon.

‘Just stay there, Toothless. I have an idea.’

Toothless didn’t look convinced as Hiccup hunched low to the ground, resting his upper body on an upwards-sloping slab of rock, hiding most of his body with some low branches of a nearby tree. Toothless began to fidget as the minutes ticked by, and so did Hiccup. Exposing Toothless like this was far riskier than he would have liked, and after an hour, he couldn’t take it anymore. He leapt up from his place and waved Toothless over, who quickly bounced up and over to him.

‘Sorry about that bud, but I was thinking it would at least be curious about a fellow Night Fury.’ He sighed and looked away. ‘It’s more likely that a human would come along and see you, though.’

He then noticed Toothless was panting with his mouth hanging open.

‘Oh. Right… water.’

He took one of Toothless’ waterskins from the saddlebags and emptied the whole thing into the dragon’s mouth, his gaze tracing the ground for anything else they could use to lure it out.

‘Fish, maybe? I dunno… any old animal would come along.’

Toothless grunted, and Hiccup realised he had been holding the empty waterskin up for nearly a minute.

‘Whoops.’

He slid the container back into the saddlebag, sitting down and wiping his forehead.

‘I don’t suppose you have any ideas, huh? How to lure a Night Fury out?’

Toothless blinked at him before turning his head towards his own cargo.

‘Hmm… I suppose you could find something you like.’

Hiccup unbuckled the straps and set the bags on the ground, opening them all. However, Toothless ignored them and went around to where Hiccup was sitting, playfully nudging his prosthetic leg, and it took him a moment to register exactly what he meant.

‘I am NOT throwing my leg around to attract a Night Fury!’ Hiccup retorted indignantly. ‘In the event that somehow would get something to come along, I’m in no position to chase it, now am I?’

Toothless snorted and continued to ignore the bags before them. He then nudged Hiccup’s chest.

‘What, me?!A Night Fury snack?!’ He folded his arms grumpily. ‘I’m not even going to grace that suggestion with a response.’

Toothless sniffed around his body for an uncomfortable minute, before growling with approval and nudging towards Hiccup’s hip.

‘Hm?’

He felt around his tunic and felt the hard leathery pack containing the map and journal. He unfastened it from his belt and held the journal in his hands.

‘What, do you think it might taste nice to a dragon?’

Toothless narrowed his eyes in annoyance and shook his head. Hiccup frowned thoughtfully as he stared at the journal.

‘Wait… you think I should… read it?’

Toothless perked his head up affirmatively, but Hiccup looked away reluctantly.

‘I… suppose…’

He knew Grimmel would likely know more about luring out Night Furies more than any other human, but he wished he wouldn’t need to read through such a thing just to find that out. In the absence of any other option though, refusing to use such a thing felt a bit selfish at this point.

Toothless curled up for a short nap as Hiccup reluctantly pried open the small book’s pages. It was likely that there would be some useful notes at the very beginning about Grimmel’s techniques, but the first page, predictably, seemed to be an account started after the hunter’s first kill.

Hiccup averted his eyes and skimmed through. Only a few pages later, he found mention of Grimmel travelling alongside his fellow villagers to find another Night Fury. He read carefully and scanned through travelling and thoughts on the other villagers, and eventually found a passage that looked promising.

_The chief had attempted to bait Night Furies beforehand, and while some techniques worked, the creatures were far too elusive to attack, and cages stood little chance against their infernal projectiles. The most reliable method was to use something that had a strong scent of their kind. However, we had little to work with, and I was ordered to go back to its corpse and carve something out that we could use. It was a dirty task, and I was none too happy to go back and look upon that scene. However, when I returned to that smooth rock surface in the cliffs, the body was gone, save for the blood and a few scales. I was… relieved, but I hid this from the others when I presented them the vial of blood and handful of scales._

Hiccup raised his brow in surprise as he continued to read.

_The blood turned out to be more useful than the scales. It had not fully hardened by the time I found it, when human blood certainly would have dried and blown away by then. We tried the scales first, but we had no results after waiting an entire day. We left for another several days and when we came back the scales were gone. There were no signs of a dragon having done it – more likely one of the birds nesting around the area._

_Fortunately for us, the blood still had a distinct smell and despite having been mixed with dirt and shards of rock, another of those black dragons showed up within a few hours. Then –_

Hiccup shut the book, images of what came next flashing behind his closed eyelids. He could feel heat rising in his throat as he shoved it back into the dragonhide bag before cupping his hands over his face.

_This is all his fault! It’s because of him… that I’m here. That Toothless had been alone for so long… It’s because of him that all those Night Furies…_

He was interrupted by a swift nudge to his elbow. He yelped slightly as his head dipped from the loss of support, and a large tongue went up the side of his face. He stared for a few seconds before he attempted to wipe the dragon’s saliva off to no avail.

‘Oh… thanks... I guess I needed that.’

He eyed the Night Fury regretfully, who was watching him with a worried look.

‘I hate to say this, bud, but… we need to use your blood.’

Toothless’ large green eyes widened in surprise.

‘What? You’re the one who told me to read that stupid journal. That’s what I got.’ He sighed. ‘And of course I kind of wish I hadn’t, but… it apparently took only a couple of hours to get a Night Fury to show up. Problem is, well… I’d have to cut you and get some blood.’

Toothless’ gaze flickered between Hiccup and the clearing behind him for a minute. His large eyes fell on Inferno in its hilt. Hiccup reluctantly unsheathed it and held it out, waiting for Toothless to hold something out.

Instead, the dragon stepped backwards and pointed his head at the grass beneath with a grunt. Hiccup raised a confused eyebrow, but lowered the sword and dropped it on the grass.

Toothless then began to try and get the sword in his mouth. Hiccup grimaced as the dragon exposed his teeth, but helped him get the hilt into his jaws. Hiccup then grabbed a vial from the open saddlebags and watched Toothless carefully as the dragon positioned the blade pointing into the dragon’s left paw as he raised.

He forced himself to watch Toothless plant the tip of the blade on top of his paw, and then stabbed the tip abruptly with a jerk of his head.

‘Toothless!’

The dragon immediately dropped the weapon with a slight yowl of pain, but was able to hold his paw out long enough for Hiccup to gather several large drops of dark, crimson blood. He quickly closed the vial with a cork lid.

‘Hang on! I’ll get some bandages…’

By the time he’d found them, Toothless had stuck his paw in his mouth. Hiccup waited for the dragon to hold out the wounded paw, but he never did.

‘Uh… I don’t think sucking on it will do you any good, pal…’

Toothless stayed sitting where he was, and Hiccup tapped his foot impatiently. He was about to try and pull the paw out, when he realised Toothless’ throat was glowing with a purple light.

‘Are you sure you’re not making it worse?! It’s not worth it! Just let me use these bandages…’

Toothless finally pulled his paw from his mouth, and Hiccup quickly grabbed it, ignoring Toothless’ annoyed grunts and the saliva covering the black surface.

To Hiccup’s astonishment, the wound was completely closed. It was still obvious as to where the sword penetrated the scales, as there was a line of pale flesh that blended into darker scales further away from the wound.

‘Huh. I guess you don’t need them.’

Hiccup noticed Toothless wince a little as the dragon lowered his foot and put pressure on the paw, but after a few tries he was able to move normally again. It looked like Toothless was at least careful to not give himself too deep a wound.

‘Thanks, Toothless.’ Hiccup patted the dragon on his shoulder as he sat. ‘I’ll take care of the… uh… bait. We’ll stay here and watch, alright?’

Toothless yawned in response as he curled up on the nearest rock, while Hiccup first packed up and secured Toothless’ saddle on the ground. He then took the vial and looked over the wide clearing, holding the vial carefully as he roamed the area. He was looking for a spot that was not too exposed to the sunlight, but preferably on a rock so he might be able to reuse the blood somehow. He didn’t fancy Toothless stabbing himself every time they wanted to lure out a Night Fury.

He found a spot made up of a flat rock with another jutting out of the ground right next to it, and was angled so the afternoon sun would create shade on the horizontal surface beneath for the rest of the day. Hiccup carefully unfastened the cork lid and let the blood trickle out onto the surface. It was rather oily and globulous, and took several seconds to spread out and form a flat surface.

He then made his way back to Toothless, taking position as before, keeping the rocks in question at the centre of his vision while also scanning the whole field for any traces of obsidian black movement or the flapping of wings.

‘Psst! Toothless! Help me out here. If it runs away, I’m gonna need you.’

The Night Fury trotted over and lowered himself to the ground next to him on the grass, and the pair waited for the next hour, barely making a sound apart from breathing. A few animals passed through the clearing, most being hard to distinguish against the grass. They did spot one or two wolves on the other side, but the larger animals didn’t enter.

Finally, when the afternoon sun was starting to cast shadows, they spotted a black figure slide out from between the trees on their right. Hiccup’s breath caught as he saw the leathery wings and sleek, black body, with some sunlight shining off its scales. He wasn’t sure, but it looked far smaller than Toothless did when they first met. He tried to contain his building excitement to concentrate on not letting it out of his sight.

The small Fury crept along the ground carefully, making its wings and tailfin the only parts consistently visible. Thankfully, its tailfin was intact. Getting another prosthetic made for a Night Fury was something Hiccup accounted for, but would be rather time consuming as it was.

The Fury stopped several time and raised its head above the grass and rocks to look around. Hiccup and Toothless couldn’t make anything out thought apart from it definitely having the right head shape and frills.

It stopped at the pair of rocks with the blood, and soon circled the area around them. Hiccup resisted the urge to get up and get closer.

The Fury continued to investigate the area for several minutes before it finally changed course. And was now headed straight for them.

_Wait a minute… what am I supposed to do now? I was hoping to follow it to its tree… If it sees Toothless, that’s one thing, but if it sees me? This could be a problem…_

He attempted to backpedal in his crouching position, but he immediately stopped as his outfit rustled the bush behind him. He opened part of his mouth to whisper to Toothless.

‘If it runs, Toothless… you can’t lose it. Understand?’

Toothless grunted quietly, his eyes remaining fixed on their target.

The smaller Fury meandered a bit, but it became clear that it was following Toothless’ scent. They waited, and as it drew within the shade of the trees, Hiccup covered his mouth and slowed his breathing. It crept between the trees and finally raised its head to see Toothless lying close to the ground. It stared with wide, amber eyes for a second, but to Hiccup’s horror, it looked over towards him as well. As he locked eyes with it, he could only raise his free hand in an attempt at a greeting.

‘…Hi?’

The bright amber eyes immediately turned to slits, and the small Fury immediately turned around and scrambled up a tree without so much as a yelp.

‘Damn! After him!’

Hiccup flung himself onto Toothless’ back and grasped him around the neck as they took off towards the nearest break in the canopy. Hiccup clenched his eyes shut until they cleared the canopy, and their target was straight ahead, flying low over the trees.

After a small head start, Toothless was able to gain on it very quickly. As Hiccup thought, it was at most half Toothless’ size. However, they had no real way of intercepting without harming it.

‘Just follow it for now, Toothless. It’s gotta land sometime.’

Toothless called out to it a couple of times as they flew, and it slowed down and glanced back at them as he did so. Fortunately they didn’t have to follow it for long, as it slowed and descended into a break in the canopy ahead, and Toothless circled around and landed heavily on the forest floor, sniffing around as he tried to catch the other dragon’s scent.

He quickly spotted the other Fury – studying them distantly from the shade of the trees. When Hiccup approached, the eyes narrowed again into slits and backed away. Hiccup glanced between the Fury and his partner, patting Toothless’ shoulder as he backed away.

‘I think this will go smoother if you introduce us.’

Toothless gave him an odd look as he backed off to the opposite end of the clearing; stopping once the Fury’s was fixated on Toothless again. The larger Night Fury took one step forward, but the smaller one shrunk away again. Toothless stopped, and then lowered himself to the ground with his wings held out loosely in a non-threatening position.

Hiccup made sure to stay still and out of sight, and the smaller dragon eventually stepped forward curiously, sniffing in Toothless’ direction. It crept forward gradually and focused on Toothless’ left paw, sniffing at the wounded flesh. It whined softly and licked the surface, and Toothless twitched involuntarily, pulling it away and shaking it.

The smaller Night Fury didn’t back away, though, and Toothless raised himself to a sitting position. The other watched him for several seconds before sitting in a similar pose. The two exchanged warm calls and barks, and Toothless pointed his head back to where Hiccup was sitting.

Hiccup steadily stood up as Toothless watched him hopefully, and the smaller Fury looked at him warily, but its eyes remained round despite its apprehension.

He took a couple of steps forward, but the Fury immediately crept back, a little towards Toothless, who gave him a warning growl.

‘Right… I’ve done this before…’

Hiccup’s first real meeting with Toothless in that enclosed lake flashed through his mind. The main difference being this one could and would most likely fly if he made a slip up of any sort. He awkwardly began to pat his body for anything that looked threatening; and quickly felt the cold hilt of Inferno.

‘Right… my scary looking sword…’ He took it dangling by its hilt gripping with only a finger and a thumb, tossing it behind him into the grass. ‘Who needs it, anyway?’

The smaller Fury perked up curiously, but Toothless lowered his eyelids with annoyance.

‘What? You got that too, you know.’

He felt Grimmel’s dragonhide bag, but for obvious reasons he did not throw it away. He held it out towards the Fury. ‘I dunno – do you mind?’

He quickly sat in a cross-legged position as the Fury’s head would only come up to his waist. He placed the bag in front of him, and the Fury sniffed at it curiously. It didn’t seem afraid, even though it was literally a carved body part from another dragon.

_Maybe it’s never smelled a Tidal dragon before… or even another Night Fury. Until now, I guess..._

He watched the Fury sadly. It was young; young enough to have been close to when he and Toothless dealt with Grimmel. If it was alone, then it was all too likely its parents were dead... though there was the possibility of Night Furies leaving eggs behind to hatch on their own, as he had no idea if Toothless ever knew his parents either.

He raised his hand and held it out towards the Fury slowly, but it quickly hissed lowly and backed away. However, it backed right into Toothless paw, and stayed there. At the very least, it didn’t want to run away.

Hiccup lowered his hand. ‘Whoops... I guess that was a little premature.’

He let it be. It took him almost a week before Toothless was willing to allow physical contact at all.

Hiccup exhaled heavily, letting out all the tension and stress that had been building up throughout their entire search. He chuckled.

‘We… we did it. Toothless.’ He locked eyes with his dragon partner. ‘We found one! You’re not the last one. Heh… heh heh…’

All the pent up guilt for the last ten years felt further away now. If they could find one, then they could find more. It wasn’t too late for the Night Furies after all. He allowed his own memories of his teenage years and meeting with Toothless reform in his head, and let his mind wander to their adventures together after that. He let his body relax let the stress and apprehension of the past few days wash away.

Before he knew it, Toothless grunted sharply, snapping him to attention. The glow of the green and amber eyes were all too apparent against the thickening shade of the surrounding trees. It was then he realised how dark it was. He stood up slowly after grabbing the dragonhide bag, scanning the edges of the trees, and he could only just see the sun. How long had they been sitting there?

‘We’re going to have to move. Now let’s –‘

He stared at Toothless’ bare flank in shock.

‘The saddle! And everything else! We’ve got to go back. I can’t have some hunter stealing –’

He fell silent when the two Night Furies raised their frills and looked around warily, their nostrils flaring a little. Hiccup inhaled in a similar manner, and detected the familiarly unpleasant smell of alcohol, and his body tensed without a second of prompt.

‘You called?’

Hiccup yelled in surprise, attempting to unsheathe Inferno, only to grab empty air. He swiftly backed off and grabbed it from out of the grass before pointing the blade at the hulking figure of Endre. The large stranger was standing on a couple of feet from where he’d been sitting, carrying the saddle and bags all lumped together. He watched the Viking blankly, but Toothless grinned over at his partner as he held the weapon out.

‘You really like pointing that thing at me, don’t you?’

Hiccup hesitantly sheathed the sword after waiting a several seconds for further interruption. ‘Yeah, well - big guys can’t normally sneak up on me.’

He opened his mouth as Endre dumped the saddle at his feet.

‘Hey! There’s glass in there!’

‘Well, I figured you’d point the sword at me again if I came any closer…’

Hiccup frowned and grumbled as he dusted the leather saddle and picked the whole thing up carefully. He glanced over at Toothless, but seeing the smaller Fury planted between his front paws, groaned and hauled the whole thing over next them and left it in the grass. His muscles stinging a bit, he glanced back at Endre with a tad bit of envy. ‘How’d you manage to carry that so far so easily?’

Endre regarded him coolly. ‘Does it matter?’

Hiccup sighed and sat on the nearest rock he could find. ‘I guess it doesn’t.’ He looked back up at the shaggy man. ‘Why are you here?’

Endre frowned slightly as he glanced over at the Night Furies. Hiccup looked as well – the smaller one looked very agitated, watching Endre constantly, though it stayed with Toothless.

‘I think we should take this conversation elsewhere. We don’t want that dragon to run away after you’ve went to all this effort to find it.’

Hiccup nodded uncertainly after a moment, and Endre waved him over. Hiccup made sure Inferno was secure in its sheath before he followed the larger figure into the trees. While it was extremely unlikely Endre had deliberately led anyone to them, he kept an eye out all the same.

The warrior only walked for a minute before stopping and turning. Hiccup surmised that he wanted to keep in earshot of the dragons in case the small one tried to flee. Endre’s beard bristled uncomfortably as he seemed to open his mouth without saying anything.

‘Well, what did you want to talk about?’ Hiccup prompted. ‘I asked why you came, so let’s start with that. Actually…’ He frowned suspiciously. ‘Were you tracking us? It’s odd that you found us despite me and Toothless-‘

‘-Flying?’

‘Yeah.’

Endre folded his arms and avoided his gaze. ‘Yes. I was following you. I had tried to find that dragon myself for years, but it always eluded me. No matter how much I tried, it could always hear, or smell me coming a mile away. So all I could do was try and protect it.’

Hiccup nodded slowly. ‘But was there a reason you were following me and Toothless? Didn’t you already know we were trying to do the same thing?’

‘I had to be sure you weren’t controlling him somehow.’

‘Controlling?’ Hiccup raised a confused eyebrow. ‘What do you mean?’

Endre brow creased dangerously as he looked Hiccup in the eye. ‘One of the hunters that came after it had his own dragons. At least, I think they were dragons…’

Hiccup held up a hand. ‘Wait. Did those “dragons” have huge fangs and pointy tails?’

The warrior gripped his chin heavily. ‘Yes, I believe they did.’

‘Then... you’re talking about Grimmel. And a Deathgripper.’

Endre raised his brow in recognition. ‘Grimmel… yes, I believe that’s what they called him. What do you remember about his appearance?’

Hiccup frowned in disgust as he conjured the image up in his head. ‘Short grey hair, long face, skinny, tall, arrogant and dangerous.’

Endre nodded, unable to hide his own disdain. ‘Well, I could tell he was dangerous from the moment I saw him. He was sniffing around that village, just like you were. And he had a dragon with him, just like you did. But his was obviously a different species, and he clearly had ill intent. The villagers were all too willing to tell him as much as they could, but he didn’t have any source of blood, thankfully. I chased them all over this area until he left for good.’

‘He had a Deathgripper, and you chased him off?’ Hiccup shook his head. ‘Pardon me if I find that difficult to believe.’

‘That was puzzling to me, too.’ Endre inhaled and exhaled heavily as if to vent the anger of a bad memory. ‘I came after him and tried to kill him every chance I got, but he didn’t try to kill me. He even stopped his “Deathgripper” from attacking me even after I lopped the end of its tail off.’

‘Why would Grimmel of all people, do that?!’

Endre shrugged tersely. ‘If you have any idea, I’m all ears.’

Hiccup waved a hand, trying to dispel the mention of the name. ‘Whatever, it doesn’t matter now – he’s dead.’

Endre was silent for a few seconds as he watched him coldly. ‘I’m glad someone finally finished the job.’

Hiccup sighed as he tried to change the subject. If Endre was enemy of Grimmel, then he could trust him to some degree.

‘OK, fine, I understand why you tracked us. But now what?’

Endre watched him curiously. ‘You are going to find others, correct?’

Hiccup nodded fervently. ‘If they’re alive, yes.’

‘And if they’re dead?’

Hiccup frowned miserably. ‘I... don’t want to think about that. Even so, we have to try.’

‘Then I want to join you.’

Hiccup frowned and twisted his head a little. ‘I’m sorry, come again?’

Endre sighed, and fidgeted uncomfortably. ‘Look, I’ve only stayed in this region because of that small dragon you’ve found. Provided it doesn’t run off, there’s no reason for me to stay here. And you and… Toothless are going to be doing something far more important than I’ve ever accomplished in my entire life.’

Hiccup was speechless for several seconds before he could respond. ‘Uh… well, I suppose we could use the help. But… are you sure?’ He narrowed his eyes a little. ‘You’re not going to track me or Toothless behind our backs or anything, right?’

Endre eyed him firmly. ‘If it means the safety of the dragons, I can’t promise I won’t.’

Hiccup sighed to himself. ‘Well, that is the whole point, I guess…’ He turned around and put his hands on his hips. ‘Fine. I only found him because of you, after all.’

He started walking back without waiting for a response, and Endre followed with heavy footsteps. There was an awkward pause as they walked, but Endre spoke up as the dragons appeared through the trees, sitting next to each other.

‘Ahem… about “him”…’ Endre muttered uncomfortably, ‘how do you know?’

‘“Him?”’ Hiccup repeated curiously. ‘Oh yeah. I guess we should give him a name.’

Endre coughed. ‘Actually, that’s not what I…’

Toothless stood up at their arrival, exchanged a hopeful look between the two humans repeatedly.

‘Well, Toothless, good news.’ He glanced at Endre out of the corner of his eye. ‘I think.’ Endre’s beard bristled with annoyance. ‘He wants to come with us. I hope you don’t – ‘

Hiccup stared in disbelief as Toothless leapt forward and right up to Endre, who flinched and took a step back. The large warrior froze as Toothless licked him, making full contact with his messy beard. The dragon quickly backed off and gagged. Hiccup couldn’t help but break out pointing and laughing as Toothless starting wiping his tongue repeatedly with his front paws.

‘That’s what you get for licking someone that smells like mead!’

Endre remained frozen for a few seconds he started coughing and sputtering in a similar manner.

‘What was that?!’ He yelled indignantly as he tried to wipe the liquid out of his eyes. ‘Warn me when he’s going to do something like that!’

Hiccup, still grinning, turned to him. ‘I would… heh… if I knew!’ As Endre continued to wipe the saliva off his face, Hiccup shook his head. ‘Oh and don’t bother trying to get it out of your beard. Night Fury saliva doesn’t work that way.’

Endre’s beard twisted with a glare ‘Oh, _now_ you tell me.’

Hiccup pounded his chest lightly as he calmed himself down enough to look at the amber-eyed Night Fury. The smaller dragon seemed composed, despite everything that just happened. Hiccup deduced that Toothless was telling him about the two humans who just walked off to leave them alone for a bit, and that they could be trusted.

_Still… why does Toothless trust Endre so much? Hopefully I might find out more..._

He ran through some names in his head as he exchanged a look with the small Night Fury. If it wasn’t for Toothless’… _toothlessness…_ what would he have called him?

_Brown? No. Small? No. Piece of… augh! NO._

Once Toothless and Endre finally recovered, they both watched Hiccup gripping his chin with some confusion.

‘What… are you doing?’

‘Thinking of a name, like I said before!’ Hiccup answered impatiently. ‘Now be quiet; I’m trying to concentrate.’

Endre looked over to Toothless, who glanced back with a shrug.

‘I suppose I’ll get some firewood…’

The two Night Furies watched Hiccup with amusement as he paced back and forth for a few minutes, and grinned with finality when Endre returned with several blocks of chopped wood.

‘I’ve got it! Duskwing!’ He pointed at the small Night Fury. ‘That’s your name from now on.’

Duskwing didn’t react immediately, but tilted his head at the human curiously while Toothless growled a couple of chuckles. Endre stopped to look at him for a second before placing the firewood and arranging a fireplace.

‘It took you that long to come up with _that?’_

Hiccup sighed quietly as he went to assist him in setting up camp. ‘Everyone’s a critic.’

* * *

Duskwing stayed at Toothless’ side throughout the evening, which reassured the others that he wouldn’t leave any time soon. He didn’t attempt to lead them anywhere either; it was likely he went from tree to tree, never staying in one place too long after Grimmel or other possible hunters came after him.

Their impromptu flight from the larger clearing led the group close to the east bend on the nearby stream, and luckily Endre had left a fish trap nearby, and was able to bring back several fish by the time Hiccup had started the fire. Hiccup attempted to feed Duskwing one; as it was obvious by the way he sniffed that he’d never had cooked fish before. He managed to get close enough holding the fish in both hands, and Duskwing hastily unsheathed his teeth and grabbed it, scrambling away and back to Toothless’ side. Hiccup simply smiled and sat back down to start on his own.

They only had enough for one each, but Hiccup was able to give Duskwing some water from his waterskin so long as he held it high above the Fury’s head. Endre had his own, which thankfully was actual water and not alcohol.

The meal passed by in relative silence apart from Toothless’ momentary swallowing. Endre eventually cleared his throat.

‘So… I had something I wanted to ask.’

Hiccup gave him his attention, but Endre was silent. ‘Well? Go ahead.’

‘You said “him”. I assume you were referring to Duskwing?’

They both glanced at the small Fury, who glanced between them both curiously. ‘Yeah… so?’

‘How do you know it’s a “he”?’

‘Huh?’

‘Duskwing. How do you know he’s male?’

Hiccup tapped his chin in surprise, and it took a moment for him to answer. ‘Actually, now that I think about it… I didn’t really pay much attention. Looking at them now, though, Toothless and Duskwing have the same number of frills.’

‘And?’

‘And Toothless is male. So I naturally assumed Duskwing was as well.’

Endre narrowed his thick grew brow and peered at the two dragons side by side. ‘Hmm… Interesting. Have you ever seen a female?’

Hiccup took a moment to answer. ‘Well… technically, no. There are Light Furies like them, but I haven’t actually seen any Night Fury apart from these two.’

Endre folded his arms sceptically. ‘So for all you know, Duskwing could be female.’

‘Yeah, I guess…’ Hiccup answered irritably. ‘Why is this so important, anyway?’

‘Well, in case they’re the only two Night Furies alive, well…’

Toothless quickly shot them both a warning glance with a shake of the head. When Endre frowned with confusion, Hiccup hurried to clarify.

‘Thing is, Toothless already has a family. He met a Light Fury – basically like him, but white – and has three hatchlings.’

This seemed to confuse Endre even more. ‘Wait, what? Are Light Furies female Night Furies?’

Hiccup groaned to himself. ‘No... Yes? I don’t know.’

‘If they had hatchlings, but are not the same species…’

Hiccup cleared his throat loudly. ‘I’ve already had this discussion back home. Whether Light Furies or the same or different is not really relevant right now. Though my friend Fishlegs and Mother especially were concerned when we saw the hatchlings, which is why we’re here.’

‘Why were they concerned?’

‘Well… They didn’t look like Light Furies or Night Furies – more like a mix of both.’

Endre shot him a troubled look. ‘So… basically mutants.’

He looked up as Toothless hissed loudly with narrowed eyes.

‘I wouldn’t call them _that_. But...’

‘So that’s it,’ Endre mused, ‘you want to find any pure Night Furies in case those hatchlings…’ He glanced at Toothless carefully, ‘well, you know.’

‘Yeah, you could say that.’ Hiccup answered guardedly. ‘Don’t really want to say much more than that. Though I’m sure Fishlegs could talk your ear off about it.’

They all fell silent, trying to allow the tension in the air to dissipate like the smoke up into the air. Hiccup shifted and changed the subject.

‘So… We’ve found one Night Fury, and I have a good idea of where to go next.’

Endre gave him a sidewards glance, though his gaze was fixated on the two dragons. ‘What did you have in mind?’

‘One of my other friends read Grimmel’s journal and pinpointed another place that Night Fury could still be alive.’ He unpacked Grimmel’s map from his dragonhide bag, tracing the general area of where they were, and sliding up north. ‘There’s apparently a rather strange village near where a Night Fury was sighted. Do you know anything about it?’

‘“Strange village”?’ Endre stroked his beard thoughtfully. ‘Well, there is a village up north called Dharcrest that never lets me in.’

Hiccup gave him a look up and down. ‘And that’s strange how? You’re not exactly a picture of a model citizen.’

Endre grunted. ‘The strange part is they have no mead. Or alcohol of any kind.’ Hiccup raised a questioning brow. ‘…Which I found out while sneaking in.’

‘Riiight.’ Hiccup tapped his forehead. ‘Will they let me in, though?’

‘I suppose we won’t know until we try. They kept me out because I looked “too dangerous”.’

Hiccup snorted to himself before he glanced down at his hip. ‘Well, I hope Inferno doesn’t send them into a panic.’

He patted his sword earnestly, but Endre glanced away.

‘I think you’ll be fine.’

Hiccup frowned indignantly.

After they finished, Endre helped Hiccup mark the position on the map, and to help mark a good trail to follow if the group was to go on foot. Endre wrapped himself in a fur cloak against a large tree for the night, and Hiccup laid out his own fur blanket next to the dying fire. He positioned himself so he could see Duskwing curled up against Toothless’ side, smiling as he drifted off with the picture of two Night Furies side by side fresh in his mind.


	4. Village of Secrets

Unfortunately, Hiccup had some difficulty getting to sleep that night despite their new additions. Endre conscientiously kept his distance, but his pungent odour still permeated throughout the vicinity. And despite Hiccup deciding to trust the man, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy in his presence. Waking up several times that night, he could tell Duskwing felt the same. And yet Toothless slept like there was no tomorrow, paying no mind even when the smaller dragon repeatedly got up to circle around him and curl up in a different spot.

Once the sun began to rise the next morning, Hiccup sprung to action early and went over his map again, taking care not to make any noise. The forest was similarly quiet – almost too quiet, as if waiting with baited breath in the presence of a predator. He glanced over at the two Night Furies, then over at Endre. Between them, it wasn’t hard to believe the animals of the wilderness would stay away.

_Obviously, they wouldn’t stay away because of me or anything..._

He pinpointed their location again in relation to Duskwing’s habitat, and traced a route towards the village. His eyes widened when he realised just how far it was. Somehow he had missed that the distance was several times that of the Straight coastline to Daler. And now that Endre was with them, it would take quite a bit longer, and further reduced the possibility of just flying over the forest.

He debated to himself whether they should continue on foot or get Toothless to somehow ferry him and Endre over, but decided against it. Since the area was outside Duskwing’s marked habitat, there was a chance they might find another Night Fury. Their destination was the only real hint from Eret of a living Night Fury, yet they had found Duskwing along the way.

He spared a glance at his armour stacked against a nearby rock, eyes wandering over the dragonhide bag. He pushed the journal out of his mind for the moment, especially as he felt distant eyes upon him, and saw Endre shift from his sitting position to look at him with dreary eyes.

The large warrior sniffed and wiped his eyes slowly. He stood up, and Hiccup realised he’d slept in his thick leather outfit without bothering to change. Hiccup wrinkled his nose; no wonder the man smelled so bad.

He watched Endre curiously, quickly losing interest in his own map when Endre picked up his axe resting on the other side of his tree. In the morning light, the axe glinted with a pristine sheen. The weapon looked so finely maintained even from a distance that Hiccup guessed the warrior took far better care of the weapon than himself.

Endre pulled out a brown rag from one of his chest pockets, gave it a shake in the air, and ran it over the smooth surface of the axe. The weapon was a different sort of axe that Hiccup was used to seeing; instead of the broad, rectangular design of Viking axes, this one had an elegant, curved edge jutting out of the thick, leather bound hilt. He stood up curiously, and walked over, looking over some rune carvings engraved into the shaft.

‘Nice weapon.’ Hiccup smiled uncomfortably as he stopped in front, but the warrior only answered with a grunt. Hiccup rubbed the back of his head and glanced over at the dragons, who were in no position to distract them at the moment. ‘Where’d you get it?’

Endre put away his rag and unwrapped a small leather wrapping, revealing a small whetstone, and began to run it along the bladed edge. ‘ _She_ was made for me when I came of age – and it was a long time ago. Unlike the people of that village, she has never failed me. So I take care of her…’ He exhaled heavily. ‘It also helps to pass the time. Idle hands leave the mind to wander.’

Hiccup raised a brow curiously, but steered the subject away. ‘Does “she” have a name?’

Endre looked up at him indulgently. ‘Luna. The moon was out that night – at that time, it the waxing crescent phase. The shape was so similar that it made sense to name her after it.’ He paused his sharpening to glance over at Hiccup’s armour – and the weapon beside it. ‘What about yours? Does it have a name?’

‘Inferno.’ Hiccup emphasised, attempting to make the name sound as impressive as possible.

Endre lowered an eyebrow sceptically. ‘Can it actually create fire? I could clearly see some sort of trigger mechanism,’ his beard twitched, ‘since you love pointing it at me so much.’

Hiccup groaned. ‘Well I promise to stop doing, that, alright?’ After Endre shrugged lightly, he continued. ‘And yes, it can make fire – but it requires fuel. And...’ he glanced over at the Night Furies again, ‘I don’t have a useful source at the moment.’

‘Is it actually a decent weapon on its own, though?’

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully. ‘It wasn’t really made for fighting, but I’d say it is. Or was…’

Endre placed his hands on his knees as he peered at the sword from a distance. ‘I want to have a look.’

Hiccup gaped at him with slight apprehension for several moments. He went over and picked up the weapon, however, and taking a quick glance at Luna changed his mind.

‘First up – ONLY look at it, OK? It’s not a normal sword.’

Endre snorted. ‘I guessed that much.’

Once Hiccup had given him the weapon, he stared at it for several seconds silently, prompting Hiccup to speak up.

‘Um…’

‘What is _this_.’

His voice was lower than normal. Hiccup tensed up as he stammered back.

‘Uh… what do you mean?’

‘How long has it been since you used this?’

‘Um…. Well… ten years.’

‘TEN YEARS?!’

Hiccup stumbled back, and the two dragons raised their heads in alarm, though Toothless quickly relaxed as he spotted them. Duskwing, however, backed around behind the larger dragon and out of sight.

‘Well, yeah! I’ve had no need for it until now.’

‘Even so…’ Endre shook his head. ‘Why not give it to someone else to use?’ He tested the sword’s weight by raising and lowering it. ‘It is clearly a unique weapon, but you haven’t cared enough to maintain it!’

Hiccup frowned. ‘Like I said; I’ve had no use for it.’

Endre growled back, taking off a rucksack hidden under his long hair over his back, and rummaged through it with one hand while still holding the sword in the other.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Doing what you should have done.’

The warrior held a vial of thick, clear liquid, setting it down on the ground as he propped the blade to rest on his knees covered by the brown rag.

‘Hey, didn’t I tell you only LOOK at it?’ Hiccup protested.

Endre ignored his comment. ‘It needs a clean. Just look at all this rust!’

Hiccup examined the blade again, and Endre made a good point. He was fortunate that looking threatening was all he’d needed up until this point; most of the metal had at least a thin film of brown rust covering it. However, it looked like it would take a while to get even some of it off.

‘We’re supposed to be leaving soon. It’s a long walk to Dharcrest.’

‘I know that,’ Endre barked as he unscrewed the bottle, ‘but your life may depend on this.’

Toothless edged forward curiously as Endre let small drops fall on the rust. He turned to his bag again, fished out a thin chisel, and carefully began filing it along the edges of the rust clumps. While Hiccup recalled doing this himself on occasion years ago, Endre managed to clear most of the rust within several minutes. Hiccup almost wondered why he didn’t do the whole thing when the sun shined into his eyes.

‘We should probably get going now…’

Endre had finished wiping off the freed rust and dirt from the sword by the time he picked it up. It looked a lot better than before, even though the edges were still obviously dulled over time.

‘Thanks…’ He managed to say. ‘I guess, if we have time… would you look at sharpening it too?’

‘I don’t see why not.’

Hiccup delicately touched the sword’s tip. ‘I don’t know if I need it to be _that_ sharp, though. I’d really avoid fighting anyone.’

Endre huffed. ‘A weapon should always be sharp if it’s got an edge.’

Hiccup sighed to himself. ‘Fiiine.’

He and Endre made sure they’d packed everything they had, and Hiccup fastened the saddle on Toothless once again. Once he’d strapped his armour on and everyone else was ready, he held out his map facing the others, with Toothless and Endre peering at it curiously. Duskwing then crawled up onto Toothless saddle, placing his front paws on Toothless’ head as he studied at the map as well. The larger Fury winced at the additional weight, but still looked happy despite the load he was carrying.

‘Going by how long it took us before – if we go on foot, it’ll take us another three days at _least_. Are you prepared for that, Endre?’

‘I should be asking _you_ that,’ Endre said back, ‘since travelling the forests and plains isn’t new to me.’

‘Well… you only have one bag. It’s hard to imagine how you can survive just on that.’

‘I didn’t.’

Toothless and Hiccup waited a moment for him to elaborate, but he remained silent.

‘Well… anyway, I’ve decided that we’re not going to risk flying over, since it’ll take two trips, and we might find another Night Fury on the way. Endre, since you were… ahem… _stalking_ us, did you see how we tracked Duskwing?’

Endre glanced away uncomfortably under his accusing gaze. ‘You were checking the trees, mainly. And then you had to use Toothless’ blood.’

‘True. So if you can check every tree you can for something that looks black and scaly, it would help our chances of finding another Fury.’ He glanced over at the two Night Furies. ‘You too, Duskwing.’

Duskwing narrowed his amber eyes at the map in response, but Hiccup couldn’t tell if he really understood. After several seconds, the dragon lowered himself onto Toothless’ back, sitting in a curled position where Hiccup normally would. Hiccup shrugged; if he was going to walk anyway, might as well let him ride for a while, if not too long – Duskwing was still a bigger weight than Hiccup was.

The group of two humans and two dragons then started north; Endre quickly taking the lead as he knew the area best and was also good at clearing branches with Luna and his wide frame. Hiccup kept his map out and kept his eyes open for any signs of Night Furies while also noting landmarks along the way. Toothless, and seemingly Duskwing, sniffed often and kept their eyes trained for their fellow dragons as well.

After the first day of travelling, the forest grew thinner, and while it was easier for them to proceed, the party faced the dilemma of continuing in a straight line over exposed plains, or take the longer way around – hugging the edge of the forest in the hopes of encountering another Night Fury. After some deliberating, they decided to head straight for the village, as Endre was quick to point out that the village kept outsiders at a distance and would hopefully be a source of information on any nearby Night Furies.

The group still managed to use scattered hills and rocky outcrops to camp for the next two nights as they travelled. The rolling hills were covered in grass, however most looked a sickly yellow rather than green. While there was little doubt the dragons kept other animals away, it was strange how empty the region felt. The only consistent sound was the wind blowing over the hills and the distant sound of leaves.

Endre, as well as the dragons, were not the most talkative of companions, and the group exchanged few words or growls. However, Hiccup gradually relaxed in Endre’s presence and the potency of his odour lessened. Duskwing also hopped off from Toothless’ several times, and while he still kept his distance from Endre, he allowed Hiccup to touch the top of his head briefly as they walked. He inwardly smirked when the large warrior shot him a jealous look.

On the third night, they drew within view of their destination. They saw it from a distance, as there was a small column of smoke rising over a sudden flattening of the rolling landscape. As they drew closer to the nearest hill for a look, they spotted a couple of lights tucked away down a final slope. The village itself was situated in a valley, and unlike Daler it had few artificial walls surrounding it. Instead, the villages sculpted barriers out the surrounding rock and small cliff faces. The interior buildings were still mostly made of wood, but the major buildings were made of stone where possible.

Another line of forest began to the northeast of their position, and they camped at its edge that night before visiting tomorrow. As they sat before a small fire, and Endre began to examine Inferno again for any more rust and some sharpening with his polish, rag and whetstone, Hiccup enquired about the village before them.

‘So… it goes without saying that we have to leave Toothless and Duskwing behind.’ He glanced at the sleeping dragons worriedly. ‘I wasn’t worried about Toothless being on his own... but with Duskwing now, I’m not so sure. You mentioned that hunters tend to avoid this area. Why is that?’

Endre talked without breaking motion or concentration on his polishing. ‘The people of Dharcrest are rather… odd. They are quick to chase outsiders out who mean to harm any part of the environment here. Their hunters are also rangers. In the past, I was chased out for hunting deer one time. If we stay here too long, we won’t have enough food, lest we invite them to attack.’

‘Have you actually been in the village?’

‘No. The incident with the deer was my only “official” meeting.’

Hiccup gripped his chin. ‘Are they dangerous? At least, compared to you?’

Endre froze for a few seconds. ‘I was wounded quite badly by their crossbow. Though I admit I was not the most polite of visitors, either.’

Hiccup gulped nervously. ‘I guess… will you be coming with me? It would be good to have someone watching Duskwing apart from Toothless… but if these guys are dangerous, going in alone would be a bad idea.’

Endre nodded slowly. ‘I’m inclined to agree… but if we leave the dragons alone, you need some sort of backup plan. I don’t know if they’re as hostile to dragons as humans, but I would expect the worst.’

‘Even though apparently a Night Fury was sighted close by?’

Endre put the sword down, sat back and folded his arms. ‘During my “stalking”, as you call it, I saw you reading through some book. Would that be of any use?’

Hiccup smacked his teeth together uncomfortably. ‘Well… yes. But there’s a problem…’ He reluctantly pulled the old book out. ‘It was written by Grimmel.’

Endre widened his eyes in surprise, but recovered quickly as he stared daggers down at the book. ‘I guess that’s how you knew he was dead.’

‘Well, yes. Anyway… you can understand why I wouldn’t want to read it.’

Endre gave him a slight glare. ‘Perhaps, but it could also have useful information about this village, or the hypothetical Night Fury that was spotted here.’

‘I know, but...’

The warrior continued to glare at him with disapproval, and Hiccup shifted uncomfortably on the stump he was sitting. ‘I don’t suppose you could read it?’

Endre shook his head heavily. ‘Let me paint you a picture. If _you_ read it and find out how Grimmel killed a Night Fury, it would probably upset you and be stuck in your memory for years. However, if _I_ read such a thing, I would quickly tear out the page I was reading, rip the book in half, chop it into as many pieces as possible with Luna, burn it, stomp on it, and probably fly into a rage for several hours.’ He paused stiffly. ‘Not exactly helpful to your mission, is it?’

Hiccup sat there stunned, and grinned slightly. ‘Wow... That’s a very detailed prediction.’

Endre harrumphed and looked away. ‘I’ve lived long enough to know what does and does not tick me off.’

Hiccup watched him curiously until he continued his polishing from before. He reluctantly pulled open the journal again, when he noticed one of the pages was folded.

‘Oh yeah. Eret had marked the page for me – guess I forgot.’

The warrior snorted gruffly. ‘There, now was that so hard?’

Hiccup frowned at the somewhat mocking remark and opened to the folded page. Sure enough, he found what he was looking for on that very page.

_These people are crazy! I approached this village with one of my Deathgrippers, and they seemed almost enamoured with the creature. However, they were also somewhat... intellectually challenged. I asked to speak to their leader, under the presumption that I would tell him about my Deathgripper and where it came from. Apparently the “elder” as they call him was the eccentric, knowledge-hoarding sort._

_That weasel surely would know about a Night Fury in the area if one was spotted, though I had only heard a distant rumour from a passing traveller about this one. I proposed knowledge for knowledge – I would tell him about Deathgrippers, and he would tell me if there were any Night Furies in the area. Even after I upheld my end of the bargain, when I told him my purpose, he immediately threw me out of the building. Within a minute, his entire personal guard was shooting at me. I managed to avoid any serious injuries due to my training, but they continued to shoot even as I mounted the Deathgrippers outside of the front gate. We crash landed and were forced to flee on foot. I could easily have dealt with them, but I do not have time to deal with fools who cannot save themselves from those monsters. I almost hope there is a Night Fury here, and when it destroys the whole town no tears will be shed from me._

Hiccup closed the book after skimming the next page, which went on to account another hunt somewhere else. He sat there for a moment, pondering as he put the book away.

‘Well?’

‘Huh?’

Endre watched him impatiently. ‘Did you find anything relevant, or not?’

It took a moment for Hiccup to snap back to reality. ‘Oh… yes. I think we can manage this. And I think Toothless and Duskwing will be fine on their own.’

‘And why’s that?’

Hiccup smiled. ‘Well, they tried to kill Grimmel as soon as he mentioned he was hunting a Night Fury.’

Endre stared back at him in surprise. ‘Oh. That’s… curious.’

Hiccup smiled. ‘Sound familiar?’

The warrior coughed awkwardly as he looked away. ‘Yes. Well, we should set out tomorrow morning. And we should probably keep our weapons with us unless they stop us from entering with them.’

The two got to their sleeping positions and drifted off as they watched the fire’s embers die down.

* * *

The next morning, Toothless and Duskwing retreated into the trees, and would remain close to the campsite until they returned. Hiccup also instructed them to fly away to the last spot they camped the night before last just in case, but if the village’s reaction to Grimmel was still accurate, there would be no need.

Hiccup and Endre equipped as much armour as they could, along with their corresponding backpacks, before they set off. As they descended the last slope, two sloping hills pressing on either side until rock faces exposed themselves and a tall wooden gate came into view before them.

One of the first things that stood out to them was that the wood was painted black, giving the surface a choking, charcoal-like appearance. The sign swinging from the horizontal arch up top spelled DHARCREST in razor sharp red paint. There were two empty braziers behind each side of the gate, and though unlit, Hiccup grimaced at the image the red glow at night.

The two guards stationed out front wore dark leather uniforms and had their faces covered in a black coif and light helmet. Both carried long spears that rested vertically, pointing up straight. The guards lowered their spears slowly as the travelling pair approached.

‘Halt! Who go there?’

Hiccup raised a hand in greeting.

‘Hello there! My name is…’

The other three awkwardly as they waited for him to continue. Finally, the guard on the left spoke up.

‘Your name “…”? What kind name is that?’

Hiccup frowned to himself for a moment, quickly deciding that pretending to be a dragon hunter, or even the name of one, was a bad idea. ‘Hiccup. My name is Hiccup.’

The guard on the right lessened his grip on his spear. ‘That name worse!’

Endre couldn’t but let out a low snicker, but he stopped as both guards turned their spears at him, squinting at him curiously.

‘Wait… Village knows you…’

The large warrior kept his gaze off them and tried to hide what was visible of his face, whilst trying to keep his tone polite. ‘Ah… no, you must be mistaken…’

‘You! You murderer-man!’

Hiccup frowned quizzically. ‘Um… really? All over a deer?’ The two guards could only glance at each other cluelessly, before Hiccup cleared his throat. ‘Look, it’s obvious you guys met before. But Endre here–’ he waved his outstretched arm at his companion, ‘didn’t mean to hunt on your territory. Right?’

Endre glanced down and hung his head a little. ‘Yes.’

‘And he wants to say…?’

Endre grumbled lowly as the awkward seconds ticked by.

‘Sorry. I am sorry.’

The guards remained in place for a full minute before they raised their spears. ‘Fine. What you people want?’

‘We’d like to talk to your leader, if we could.’

‘What for?’ The two chanted suspiciously.

Hiccup spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. ‘We’ve come bringing gifts and knowledge. Any more I can’t say until we can see him.’

The guard on the left whispered to the other, and the other opened the gates and headed inside, the remaining one pointing a finger at them.

‘You two stay. We ask what Elder thinks.’

They waited for a few minutes and the other guard returned without delay. He immediately barked at the two travellers standing before him, pointing to Endre first.

‘Elder curious enough to let you both in. But murderer-man must leave weapons with us.’ He pointed at Hiccup. ‘Scrawny not-dangerous-looking man allowed to keep weapons.’

Hiccup couldn’t help but puff his cheeks out indignantly as the guards opened the gates and ushered them in. _Not dangerous? Inferno and this beard I worked so hard for mean nothing to you, huh?_ He couldn’t help glancing at Endre warily. _Murderer? What, of dragon hunters? I suppose that makes sense…_

He forced his pride down as he took in the imposing buildings and paved stone road. It took some coaxing, but Hiccup urged Endre to leave Luna behind, and the pair of guards placed the axe into a large chest behind the first braziers, waiting for a pair of replace guards to take their places and made aware of the weapon.

There few people out and about, as the houses had no porches, and most had thick shutters closed on their small windows. The few residents they did see immediately stared curiously, and somewhat suspiciously, at the new arrivals. The guards didn’t even acknowledge their presence.

‘Friendly place…’

While each of the stone-laden buildings followed a similar structure, all had different, elaborate painting coating the front and outer walls. The patterns themselves were more colourful than they expected – with primary red, blue and gold being the most common, with occasional green. These colours were woven into curling, elegant patterns depicting images of nature, primarily tall cliffs of shorelines and dark forests.

There were two more gates along their path, and they each served as a checkpoint with another pair of guards. They soon realised the whole village was based around this single stone road, which widened and narrowed according to the valley’s whim. The building at each checkpoint seemed older, larger and more elaborate than the last.

Finally their escort stopped them with raised hands, and they looked up at a three-storey building embedded into the vertical rock face seamlessly. The three layers shrunk the higher it went, the top level looking only large enough for a large room, but had a wide stone balcony resting on the top of the previous levels. Oddly enough, there were no painting on the outer walls – instead outlined with many runes and words they couldn’t read.

The entrance was sealed by a sturdy wooden pair of doors, with another pair of guards, with thicker and more elaborate armour equipped, flanking its sides. Their escorts cleared their throats as they spoke in turn.

‘You will be meeting Elder now. Suggest behave.’

‘Absolutely NO TOUCHING.’

‘Do not get separated from us.’

‘Do not get left behind.’

They paused as they spoke together.

‘ _And most importantly_ …’

They slammed their spear-shafts into the ground.

‘NO. INSULTING. ELDER.’

Hiccup couldn’t help but grin sheepishly. ‘Okay, okay, we get it.’ Endre remained stiff and silent.

The guards gave a satisfied grunt and stepped forward towards the doors. The two pairs nodded toward each other, and the royal guards opened the pair of doors together, the group soon stepping inside.

While there were no paintings on the outside, it was quite a different story within. The ground floor they entered was shaped in a cross, with doors to corner rooms visible in the far corners. At the end of each of the paths within the cross room, was an elaborate tapestry woven, depicting a dragon. However, they looked like nothing Hiccup had ever seen, despite the ridiculous shapes and sizes of those he had witnessed. The body was so elegant and flowing that they almost seemed like ethereal spirits.

There were only several paintings throughout the whole building – even after they ascended stone, rectangular staircases up to the second level. They only spotted a narrow hallway with large rooms on either side before they went further to the top, though there several voices within the closed rooms.

The final level had a small lobby with a pair of vases on either side of another door – similar in structure to the entrance, but with the same carvings on the walls outside of the building. Their escort, without another word, took positions just behind at the end of the staircase. The royal guards ahead, swords in their hilts and crossbows on their back, were the ones who opened the final door.

The room was surprisingly unassuming, and was certainly not like the previously elaborate and bright rooms. While they were both expecting something like a throne or shrine, instead there was a large wooden desk off to their right, a hunched, hooded figure sitting and writing in focused sunlight from a nearby window. The walls mainly had large bookshelves lined with documents, maps, and other odd trinkets. There was a large, embroidered bed in the opposite corner, and an assortment of weapons hung on a rack closer to the balcony. There was only one guard ahead, next to the opening to the balcony, but he was not wearing a helmet. He was tall and well built, with a clean but full wavy beard and wild dark hair. He regarded them stiffly with a small bow of the head.

‘Welcome. Please, have a seat.’

It took them a moment to realise the hooded figure to their right was speaking, as he did not so much as raise a hand or turn around. They soon spotted two wide, red cushions near the centre of the room, as well as a much large circular one not far forward.

The pair sat cross-legged on the floor and waited, but there was little sound apart from the scratching of graphite against parchment for a whole minute. The elder stopped with a satisfied “hmm!” as he got up folded the parchment. He stood up, and Hiccup almost cringed at how tall the figure was. He wasn’t actually much taller than the biggest Vikings, but his thin figure made it feel rather unnatural to look at.

The elder’s robe was shiny obsidian black, laden with golden patterns in circular, current like patterns. He let his hood drop, showing slightly greying black hair, but not enough for to fulfil the image of an “Elder”. He had a finely trimmed small beard and moustache and tied most of his hair into a ponytail. As he sat, he studied both of his guests with a polite, if not slightly unnerving gaze. He spoke with a soothing yet deep voice.

‘I’ve been told by the gate guards that you wished to see me. And that you also had something to offer.’

Hiccup paused before answering carefully, the guards’ warning echoing in his head.

‘Yes, Elder sir. We had questions…’

He stopped as the Elder held up a hand. ‘We can’t start until you two have some refreshments. Fancy some tea? Salad?’

Endre exchanged an uneasily glance with Hiccup, and all but shook his head in protest.

‘Maybe something simple? Bread and water would be fine.’

The elder tilted his head in slight disappointment. ‘Oh very well.’ He clapped his hands twice. ‘Sieg!’

The lone guard by the balcony strode over and knelt. ‘You called, sir?’

‘Fetch our guests a drink and a large loaf of bread from the kitchen.’

Sieg frowned for a moment. ‘As you command, sir.’

The royal guardsman left swiftly but was back within a minute, and set down a metal platter before them with two large mugs, a bigger jug, and large loaf of bread that had been cut in half. The Elder nodded his approval.

‘Help yourselves.’

Endre immediately went for his loaf and tore into it with an air of immediate relief, but Hiccup did not feel hungry. There was something about the Elder’s gaze on him that sent shivers down his spine. After a few seconds of sitting still, the Elder pointed a long finger at the tray.

‘You won’t eat that?’

‘Well…’ Hiccup hesitated as he answered, ‘I just don’t feel hungry, sir.’

The Elder quickly grabbed the loaf and took a bite, leaving Hiccup watching him with surprise.

‘Now…’ he spoke through his mouthful. ‘Before you ask your questions, I have one for you, Hiccup.’

Hiccup waited nervously as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

‘Care to explain why your armour and bag are made of dragon hide?’

The room suddenly went silent all the nearby guards had their crossbows and speared trained on the pair. They both immediately shot their hands up into the air, while the Elder continue to chew on his mouthful.

‘W-w-wait!’ Hiccup stammered. ‘Just where do you guys stand with dragons?’

‘That is not for outsiders to know.’ The guards continued to fixate them coldly, yet the Elder continued as if nothing had interrupted their meal. ‘There have been many hunters that come through these parts, and yet they never carried the equipment that you do. When the guards first described you to me, it sounded almost contradictory.’ He opened his arms dramatically. ‘A young man who does not have the eyes of a killer, and yet has armour and weapons that such killers could only dream of!’

Hiccup, despite the spear almost digging into his back, regarded the elder curiously. ‘Is that what you wanted to know about?’

The Elder waved a hand down and the guards retracted their weapons, but remained uncomfortably close as the pair lowered their hands.

‘I was hoping that you were not a hunter. Or at least not like the others.’

Hiccup shook his head. ‘I’m not.’ He tilted his head to Endre. ‘Neither is he.’

‘Indulge my curiosity, then.’ The elder leaned forward, resting his chin on clasped hands, resting his elbows on his knees. ‘How did you get that armour? Tell me truthfully.’

Endre exchanged another look with Hiccup, nodding slowly. As Hiccup looked the Elder in his dark brown eyes, he felt like he couldn’t lie even if he wanted to.

‘It’s basically made from lots of dragon scales… one that sheds a lot as it moults.’

He stopped as the Elder’s eyes lightened up a little. ‘Hm. I was hoping for a bit more detail. What about that small bag, then?’

Hiccup hesitated for a moment, but the Elder’s gaze was unwavering.

‘It’s not mine. I took it from a real dragon hunter.’

‘And what of its contents?’

Hiccup slowly turned away. ‘It could be dangerous if I say now. And it’s not for me, if you can understand.’

The Elder narrowed his eyes for a moment and sat back. ‘So you say you collected shed dragon scales. Concerning your relationship with said dragon – describe it for me, if you will.’

Toothless’ face quickly formed in his head. ‘We’re friends. We lived together for six years.’

The guard’s surrounding them glanced at each other and murmured curiously.

‘He lived with a dragon?’

‘He _saw_ a dragon! Up close!’

‘Six years!?’

The Elder quieted them down as he spoke again. ‘And where is this dragon friend of yours now?’

Hiccup grimaced reluctantly. ‘I feel like I should tell you… but it’s very important that he remains hidden. Like you said, there have been dragon hunters coming through here, and I can’t risk him getting exposed.’

The Elder nodded. ‘I understand. I won’t ask anything I don’t need to know.’ He folded his arms ponderously. ‘I supposed you’ve satisfied my curiosity for the moment. Now, you require something of me?’

‘We’re looking a dragon just like him that was seen around these parts.’

The Elder quickly frowned guardedly. ‘And where did you hear such a thing?’

Hiccup’s eyes flickered to his bag. ‘Rumours from nearby villages… and some reports I saw of actual hunters.’

‘And if I were to tell you where such a dragon was, what would you and your large, dangerous-looking friend do?’

Hiccup frowned determinedly. ‘We would find it, and try and convince it to come with us – back to the dragon’ ancestral home.’

The Elder was silent, closing his eyes in deep thought, his brow creased heavily. He “hmmed” a few times to himself, and eventually opening his eyes to regard Endre suspiciously.

‘While would like to help you, Hiccup... supposed fake-dragon-hunter; if such a dragon existed, then we in turn would need to keep its existence hidden. For reasons you have already given.’

Hiccup’s eyes shifted to flicking between Endre and the Elder, who was glaring at the large warrior suspiciously.

‘Wait, you can trust Endre. He actually tries to protect them like you!’

‘Do you have any proof?’

‘Proof?’ Hiccup echoed blankly.

‘Such as… showing your friend was alive and well, despite travelling with this dangerous murderer?’

_Murderer… they’re serious…_

‘I can’t do that.’

The Elder sighed shortly. ‘Then we have a problem, do we not?’

Hiccup tensed, ready for the weapons again, but the guards remained still. As they sat there in tense silence for another minute, Hiccup trying to figure out a way to defuse the situation, Endre spoke, for the first time since entering the village.

‘Elder… I have a confession to make.’

The Elder raised an eyebrow curiously, but the distaste in his expression was clear. ‘Oh? This may be interesting. Go on.’

‘On one condition.’ Endre looked up at him reluctantly. ‘For your ears alone. Everyone else has to leave.’ As the guards stiffened, he gave each of them a sweeping frown. ‘And Sieg’s ears, if you fear for your safety in any way.’

The Elder nodded to himself after examining the warrior for several long seconds. ‘It was a good thing we confiscated your axe. Very well.’ He snapped his fingers over his head. ‘Guards, show the honourable Hiccup to the ground floor. The stone walls should suffice in keeping this discussion to ourselves.’

‘H-hey? What are you doing?’

Hiccup protested meekly as the remaining four guards pulled him standing and showed him down the staircase, despite his efforts to watch Endre on the way down.

* * *

The young Viking grumpily tapped his foot on the ground landing, trying to make out any sound of voices from above he could. But like the Elder said, the stone was too good at blocking out sound, and he was forced to pace the floor impatiently while the pair of royal guards remained in the room with him, frequently shooting him awkward glances.

_Whatever he’s telling them, he’s gonna have to tell me sooner or later… what’s this about “murderer”? Would they really cared if Endre killed some hunters? Even I would have more of an issue with that than them – who tried to kill Grimmel the moment they knew what he was…_

‘Ah… there you are. Thank you for your patience.’

Hiccup stared up in surprise as Endre, followed by the Elder and Sieg, descended the staircase. His cheeks burned slightly at the look the Elder was giving him, no doubt in reference to his fervent pacing and grouchy expression.

Endre walked up to stand beside Hiccup, avoiding his gaze, while the Elder folded his arms and examined Hiccup one more time. ‘I will help you find the dragon – the one we call the Blood Fury. I am not so keen on him leaving, if he so chooses – but the chance to meet another of his kind is too much to pass up.’

‘Wait a minute – Blood Fury?’ Hiccup said worriedly. ‘That sounds ominous.’

The Elder chuckled lightly. ‘I’ll admit, he is not the friendliest of dragons. He’s never let us approach his lair, after all.’

‘Lair?!’

Endre grunted impatiently. ‘You sound like you’ve never dealt with a dragon before.’

Hiccup shook his head to himself. ‘Well, believe me, I’ve dealt with a _lot_ of dragons, and I’m pretty sure they rarely have “lairs”. It’s more like “nest” with a lot of them living in the same place.’

He slowly pulled what he had of his map out from his backpack, facing the Elder. ‘I know it could be asking a lot, but can you point me in the right direction at least?’

‘Certainly. But it is still quite a distance.’

The elderly chief had brought his own graphite marker from upstairs, and circled a small area northeast of the village, surrounded by thick forest but marked by a small, long clearing.

‘Thank you for your help.’ Hiccup bowed his head after packing it up. ‘This will save us a lot of time.’

The Elder nodded back, his eyes falling on Hiccup’s sheathed Inferno. ‘Ah.’ He snapped his fingers and one of their first escorts returned to his side, standing at attention. ‘Have Endre’s axe returned immediately. I can tell how uncomfortable he is without it.’

‘Huh?!’ Hiccup exclaimed as the guard ran off. ‘Just moments ago you weren’t willing to let him anywhere near the dragon _without_ the axe, and now you’re sending him off with it in hand? Just what did you two talk about?’

Endre snorted derisively. ‘If I could tell you, I wouldn’t have asked everyone to leave.’

Hiccup frowned for a moment, but the Elder quickly interjected with a calming voice.

‘Now, now, such secrets will reveal themselves in time. Speaking of which…’ he eyed Hiccup indulgently. ‘Since you were abruptly escorted from our discussion, Hiccup, do you have any other questions before you go?’

Hiccup blinked for a moment, before looking around as he mused. ‘I do have another one. Why do your guards talk so weirdly?’

The Elder blinked back, and smiled. ‘You should say “were” talking so weirdly – it is deliberate. We prefer to keep outsiders away most of the time, unless the guards see something of interest. Despite our… warm reception, we do not allow most visitors to enter. I think you’ll find the guards will talk to you normally now.’

Hiccup nodded, clenching his teeth uncomfortably before his next question. ‘Could we also get some supplies? It’s been a few days since we’ve been to a village, so…’

The Elder nodded slowly. ‘We can give you some bags of bread, if that’s what you prefer?’

‘What about meat?’ Endre asked hopefully. ‘And some mead, if possible...’

The Elder shook his head. ‘We have little means of preserving it, so any you take with you would be worse than having none at all. And we have no means of making alcohol... and to be honest it’s not to my tastes.’ He glanced down at Hiccup again. ‘I don’t suppose you have anything to exchange for the bread?’

‘Actually, I might…’

Hiccup, shielding the bag from view, fished out another black scale. He immediately felt stupid when he held it out, but the Elder examined it with reverence, stroking it slowly as he held it in his palm.

‘So that’s what it feels like…’ he murmured to himself. ‘Consider the bread paid for.’

They left the hall and exchanging waves with the Elder, with Sieg and Endre shrugging awkwardly at the parting, the travellers carrying one bag of bread each. The villagers they passed on the way back still kept to themselves, but at least were not glaring at them anymore. More to the point they looked as curious as the Elder did when they first met, but there was no time to indulge them now.

Unfortunately, the same guards that brought them in showed them out. And Hiccup quickly wished they would revert to their stilted speech. The two paid little attention to what was ahead of them as they spewed questions over their shoulders as he struggled to keep up, both physically and verbally.

‘What’s the dragon’s name?’

‘Uh… well…’

‘Is he all black, like those scales? Maybe red and black?’

‘I… I don’t think…’

‘Can he breathe fire or anything?’

‘Not fire, but I…’

‘Do you think he could beat our Blood Fury in a fight?’

‘Wait, what?’

Hiccup frowned indignantly as he fought the urge to cover his ears, but thankfully they had arrived at the gate, and he and Endre quickly rushed through after they had returned Luna while putting on the most insincere smile he could. ‘Okay-nice-to-meet-you-bye!’

* * *

Once they got back to their old campsite, Hiccup happily shared his bread with the dragons, while Endre looked on miserably as the two dragons gobbled almost half of the bread within an hour. Duskwing must have been a lot hungrier than they realised, as he ate just as much as Toothless.

After a brief, and somewhat pointless rendition of what had happened between Hiccup and Toothless, they settled in for the night. The walk to the Blood Fury’s lair was long, but it would not be more than few hours provided they found no surprises along the way.

Hiccup mentally braced himself for the following day, as just repeating the words “Blood Fury” in his head told him this Fury was not going to be as easy as Duskwing was.


	5. Bloodshot

Hiccup awoke the next morning to find Endre cleaning up the campfire, along with Duskwing who was clearing the rocks. Meanwhile, Toothless was still asleep; Hiccup guessed that carrying Duskwing up till now had been exhausting. The young Viking remained in his sleeping position and watched them for a bit. The two seemed to be helping each other, but Duskwing still kept his distance a little from Endre. The large warrior reached out awkwardly a couple of times towards the dragon’s head, who kept just out of reach, watching him warily – though at least he allowed Endre to get closer than he did before.

Hiccup yawned loudly as they were just about finished, and the pair eyed him expectantly.

‘Hiccup. We should be going soon…’ He glanced over at Duskwing before tilting his head towards Toothless, ‘but neither of us were able to wake him up. We’re going to need him to move, so if you would be so kind?’

Hiccup frowned as he got up, only dressed in his leather tunic and pants, and shivered a little in the morning air. ‘It doesn’t surprise me. Duskwing’s still quite a bit bigger than a hatchling… and probably is heavier than me. Not to mention all the luggage Toothless has been carrying as well.’

He approached and knelt next to the slumbering dragon, sleeping on his side with his tongue hanging out. Hiccup fixated on the area beneath the dragon’s chin, but hesitated and spoke instead.

‘Hey, Toothless! Looks like Moondust is making a surprise visit! Say hi!’

The dragon crooned longingly but remained asleep.

‘Moondust?’ Endre echoed, Duskwing also watching the Viking curiously.

‘The Light Fury I mentioned before. I guess he’s dreaming about her.’ He paused for a moment. ‘I know a better way to wake him up. But before that…’ He turned to look up at the warrior. ‘You have some explaining to do.’

‘Do I?’

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sat facing up to him, cross legged. ‘What did you tell the Elder to make him change his mind so fast? What’s this about being a murderer?’

Endre stiffened his expression and glanced away. ‘None of your business.’

‘If we’re travelling together, I’d say it _is_ my business!’

Endre shook his head earnestly. ‘It is not important to your mission. I’m no threat to you or these dragons, since your goals align with mine.’

They locked gazes for several long seconds. Hiccup felt like he was telling the truth, but doubt still squirmed within his stomach.

‘Is there anything you _can_ tell me then? Did you kill a dragon hunter, or someone else?’

Endre hesitated, his voice growing quiet. ‘Yes. It was a dragon hunter.’

Hiccup waited, but Endre kept silent. He sighed in defeat, knowing it would be unlikely to get any more out of him today.

‘Fine.’ He turned around to Toothless, and scratched the dragon along the scales on the back of his neck. Toothless’ frills perked up and vibrated a little as he opened his mouth and clenched his eyes tighter. Hiccup then grabbed some loose dirt and dangled it over the top of his nose, and the dragon quickly snorted and coughed a little, opening his green eyes to glare at Hiccup indignantly. The Viking could only grin sheepishly.

‘Sorry to interrupt your dream, Toothless… but we need to get moving.’

Toothless reluctantly got to his feet and allowed Hiccup to strap on the saddlebags again, though Hiccup could tell from his lowered frills the dragon was not looking forward to carrying them again today. When Duskwing approached, his amber eyes fixated on the saddle’s seat – and Hiccup folded his arms to watch the younger Night Fury with disapproval.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Duskwing.’ He folded his arms. ‘You’re not carrying anything, and I can’t take off part of these bags for you to carry. You’re going to have to pull your own weight… and that means no more riding Toothless.’ He shrugged. ‘Unless you’re injured or something.’

Duskwing croaked in protest, his frills expanding with displeasure. Toothless turned around watched him regretfully, nodding in response to the smaller dragon’s higher-pitched protests.

‘Besides, you’re going to have to build up your strength for the trip home.’ Hiccup bent over to the dragon’s head coming up to his waist. ‘It’s a long fly back to the Hidden World, unless you fancy swimming.’

Duskwing creased his face in displeasure and shook his head, but walked up to Toothless side nevertheless.

‘And don’t try to get up on the saddle while we walk. He’ll throw you off.’

Toothless grinned and tilted his back towards the small dragon, as if daring him to test it. Duskwing’s frills fell and he looked away grumpily and followed along silently as Toothless bound forward.

* * *

The group travelled over more hills and grasslands similar to before, and quickly dove into the forest that housed the clearing as their target. They kept checking for any hideouts and trees overhead on habit, but considering the Fury had a “lair”, it felt somewhat pointless.

While they were unclear as to what this lair would look like, the dragons soon found sets of large footprints much like Toothless’ in multiple areas, which became more frequent as they drew closer to the clearing. Most of the footprints, upon closer inspection, were clearly of landing and taking off. The sets would not continue for more than a few feet at a time – one set was even fresh. After another minute of walking, a large mound rose up from behind the treeline into another forested hill. The rising landmass consisted of layered, smooth rocks with mosses and the occasional bent tree sticking out between the gaps, with large areas of barren soil replacing entire sections.

‘Is this the place?’ Endre grunted as they looked the formation up and down, taking a break from walking.

Hiccup got out his map, comparing the size of the mound with what he could compare to the map. The lack of a canopy made it only too obvious.

‘That’s gotta be it. The canopy is unbroken for miles more going north.’

The stone mound was not uniformly curved, and as the group circled around it, looking for an entrance, it sometimes became difficult to tell where the rock ended and soil began. The only guide they had was the tree canopy signalling them straying too far. They continued looking for more signs of activity, and it took over half an hour by the time they spotted a familiar bent tree – they had been around the whole thing with no sign of an entrance.

‘How could it get inside, then?’ Endre muttered. ‘If this is really his “lair” he would come and go often enough.’

Hiccup frowned and gripped his chin, scanning the mound further as he pondered for a minute.

‘He’s a dragon...’ he said to himself, ‘so the entrance might not be on the ground.’

‘We’ve got to climb?’ Endre said glumly. ‘I’m not so good with heights.’

Hiccup grinned as Toothless and Duskwing eagerly began scrambling up the nearest slope. ‘Well, feel free to stay here, then.’

Endre grunted and quickly followed after them, pressing a finger to his lips.

‘Tell them to be quiet. The Blood Fury could be here, after all.’

Hiccup nodded shortly. ‘If he’s asleep, though, I doubt he’d appreciate us sneaking up on him.’

The Night Furies were quiet on their own after that, especially once the rocky outcrop petered out horizontally and they were able to walk properly. Toothless and Duskwing stopped ahead of them, and as the two humans came closer, they spotted the two dragons taking turns poking their heads down a sloping hole.

Hiccup took a turn and stomach clenched. There was a sheer drop down the large hole, and while it was big enough for a dragon to fly into, it was no help to them on foot. There was a stone cavern beneath, but it was hard to tell how big it was without more light.

Toothless and Duskwing moved on, and soon found another large irregularly shaped hole. There was no cavern visible this time, but it sloped downwards into a dimly lit path below, and Toothless went down first. He took care not to slip on any loose rocks, and thankfully it was stable enough with thick, hard dirt felt under their feet as they followed him into the darkness.

There was enough light for them to follow Toothless’ large frame down the slope, with gradually branched out wider and let them walk side by side. Their eyes adjusted well enough for first minute, but as their path went deeper the light from above slowly went out.

‘I don’t suppose that sword works?’ Endre whispered.

Hiccup unsheathed Inferno, and internally hoped there was enough saliva left to get some light. As he flicked the trigger, there was a gradual flash of purple, which thankfully lingered on the blade.

‘Huh. I guess your polishing helped more than I thought…’

It was not as bright as when using Monstrous Nightmare saliva, but it was enough for him to hold it in front and keep a fix on Toothless’ position as well as finding the rocky slope wall to his left. They kept quiet, looking out especially for another, unfamiliar pair of eyes.

A rock rolled roughly across the ground ahead of them, tapping loudly against another rock surface. Toothless visibly winced as he retracted a paw, before they all did the same at the sound echoing throughout the cave – making it apparent how large the area was. Hiccup froze as he stared into the darkness from where the rock just stood before.

A pair of eyes straight ahead stared at them – blood-red eyes with narrow slits. After a split second, its mouth opened with large teeth and red light erupting from its throat.

‘Get d–‘

The fireball had already launched by the time they could move, straight for Hiccup. Time seemed to slow down as it sped towards him, only for a large shape to dash in front of him to take the impact, with a pained roar reverberating in their ears.

‘TOOTHLESS!’

He waved his sword forward for light, but Toothless got up swiftly as the red eyes leapt forward, limbs and great wings outstretched. Hiccup felt an arm grab his roughly and pull him back, pulling him out of his momentary stupor as he stared at Endre in shock.

‘What are you doing?!’ He protested.

The warrior gave him a firm look in the eye before pulling him along.

‘Getting you out of here.’

Hiccup stared back at the flailing figures wrestling in the dark, filling the cave with snarls and heavy bodies falling against rock. ‘We can’t leave him!’

‘We’re no use in the dark!’ Endre retorted loudly as his heavy footsteps echoed loudly. ‘Toothless! Get him up and out of this hole!’

Hiccup reluctantly followed, as it sounded like Endre had some sort of plan, quickly realising Duskwing was leading them out.

By the time they reached the entrance, they felt wind gushing behind and turned to see Toothless fly out of the previous hole in the roof, another Night Fury pursuing him close behind. The pair of dragons flew overhead into the clearing above, and the group hurried up and through the entrance after them.

They saw Toothless descend in the distance just before the line of trees, and the other Night Fury descended at the same time over ascending ground. Duskwing stopped at an edge of rock with flat plains ahead, Endre dropping down on the ground, and Hiccup following suit to watch the dragons from low cover.

The Night Fury and Blood Fury were circling each other, growling loudly and frills extended threateningly as they stared each other down. Hiccup quickly scanned Toothless for any wounds, but he couldn’t see anything obvious from where the fireball had hit him.

The Blood Fury was a little larger and bulkier than Toothless. His head was heavier and more angular, with one of his upper frills seeming to have been torn off at some point, leaving a partial stump. Apart from that, he was obviously the Night Fury they were looking for.

‘What are we going to do?’ Hiccup asked, shifting his head in rapid panic to look at both Endre and Duskwing beside him, who were silent. ‘We can’t have them fighting to the death like this! I saw two dragons duke it out, and it was… horrible…’

Endre glance at him with concern. ‘What’s wrong with you? Calm down.’

Hiccup then realised how rapidly he was breathing, trying to slow down his heart rate as he clenched his chest with his fist. He tried to force the image of Toothless in front of him out of his head, but the memory of Stoick was all too real…

‘Hey!’ Endre urged and shook his shoulder. ‘Look at him; he’s fine. And I really doubt any Night Fury would be stupid enough to kill another when they could be last of their kind.’

Hiccup stared at the Blood Fury again. ‘I… I don’t know…’

‘You still intend on taking him with us, right?’

Hiccup blinked, his expression clearing determinedly. ‘Yes. Yes, we have to.’

Endre nodded slowly. ‘If you’re sure.... then this is something you can’t help with. Since that dragon has the same number of frills… minus the torn one…’ He eyed the dragons grimly, ‘then these two adult males will have to establish some sort of truce. Or so I imagine.’

No sooner had he finished before the Blood Fury rushed Toothless galloping forward, lunging for a bite towards Toothless’ neck. He responded by lowering his head and ramming it upwards, swiping a paw upwards as the Blood Fury’s teeth were deflected, sending it backwards skidding along the ground. As it got up, it pawed at the side of its face, revealing three small gashes. It hissed and ran across the ground, repeatedly swiping back at his head and snapping at his swinging frills. Toothless backpedalled for several seconds but caught several slashes on his head and paws before he stumbled in a dip in the ground. The Blood Fury immediately leapt upon him, which sent the two dragons tumbling and rolling in the dirt. The trio squinted as they watched the dust fl up, as it became very hard to tell if either of them had the upper hand – or when the fight would be over.

After several moments of struggling in the dirt, Toothless was thrown heavily onto his back, some of his blood dripping from fresh wounds. The Night Fury blinked with a pained expression as he lay there, stunned. The Blood Fury advanced, also covered in more wounds, hunching its legs for another leap. Hiccup and Endre simultaneously shot up, but before they could stop it, a fireball hit the Blood Fury in his left flank, the impact sending him rolling in the air to land away from them. Duskwing ran and stood in front of Toothless, brandishing his wings and raised his head defiantly.

As the Blood Fury stood up, the smaller Fury let out a high pitched, lengthy roar that was so shrill Endre and Hiccup cringed, the latter covering his ears. The Blood Fury simply stared, though his eyes dilated for a while as he watched the smaller dragon. Toothless soon struggled to turn himself over and managed to slowly stand up. The Blood Fury narrowed his eyes, opened his wings and took off back to the cavern, letting of a final warning roar as he left.

Hiccup and Endre leant down next to Toothless as he struggled to stand on his front paws, sticking his tongue to lick them, but Hiccup quickly pulled his leg closer. The red gashes were obvious against his black scales, but not too deep, and the bleeding had already slowed somewhat.

Hiccup quickly undid the saddle from the dragon’s back, which in hindsight, was probably the reason why it didn’t turn out so well. Endre quickly lifted the weight of it all and lowered it carefully onto the ground, while Hiccup retrieved as many bandages as he could find from one of the larger pockets. By the time he’d found what he was looking for, Toothless was already trying to stick his paw into his mouth again. However, this time, the wounds were too far up his legs, and Hiccup quickly stopped him from biting at his wounds by pushing the dragon’s head away as he applied the bandages, handing some off to Endre to do the same on the other side.

Hiccup then searched the dragon’s body for a wound from the Blood Fury’s fireball, but it took a while before he found scorch marks hidden under Toothless’ right wing. However, apart from slight bruising – which became apparent when Toothless recoiling at Hiccup’s touch – there wasn’t an obvious wound anywhere, and Hiccup sighed with relief.

There were other gashes on Toothless’ face and chest, but they didn’t have the required length to properly bandage them. Endre cleaned the wounds instead, using one of his rags, which was surprisingly clean. Once they were done, they retreated to a grassier area off to the side, where Toothless curled up timidly. Endre folded his arms and closed his eyes.

‘Well, that could have been worse.’

Hiccup knelt close to the dragon; gently placing his hand on Toothless’ flank, listening to the dragon’s breathing and closed his own eyes. Endre watched him for a minute before he spoke again.

‘What happened, Hiccup?’

It took him a moment to answer as he opened his eyes and looked up at him.

‘What do you mean?’

‘When Toothless was hit by that fireball… you froze. I’m curious as to why.’

Hiccup looked away again, irritation creeping into his voice as he recalled Endre’s meeting with the Elder. ‘It’s none of your business.’

The warrior sighed, glancing over at Duskwing keeping watch before sitting in place. ‘If it gets you killed, it _is_ my business. Toothless may be able to survive direct shots from a Night Fury, but I doubt humans can.’

Hiccup forced his own irritation down, frowning sadly. ‘I know.’

Endre nodded as if confirming something in his head. ‘I won’t pry – but this mission of yours is pretty much over if you die. You’re lucky Toothless was quick enough to defend you.’

Hiccup clenched his eyes shut with a pained expression before he opened them again.

‘You’re right. I guess… I didn’t count on a Night Fury being so hostile, especially to another Night Fury.’

Endre watched him for a few thoughtful moments, though he said his next words hesitantly.

‘Maybe we should move on.’

Hiccup’s eyes snapped wide as he stared at the warrior. ‘What?!’

Endre shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. ‘He can take care of himself here. And that village has done a good job of protecting him… maybe it would be better to move on and find Night Furies that _don’t_ try to attack us on sight.’

Hiccup kept his firm gaze focused on Toothless. ‘I said we would take him with us, and I meant it. He might not have been able to survive this long _without_ being so hostile.’ He frowned to himself sadly, before glancing back between Endre and the saddle. ‘The maps show there really isn’t too much land on this side of the continent to cover. After that, and going east for a while, the only possibility is to continue over the sea to the next continent over, and I doubt Toothless could carry me, you _and_ the luggage.’ He looked at the dragon worriedly. ‘I may have asked too much of him already.’

They fell silent for a few minutes, listening to Toothless’ breathing, while Duskwing came to check on him briefly. The small Fury seemed to be keeping a lookout specifically for the Blood Fury in case he came back.

‘So what now?’

Hiccup exhaled, leaning back in his sitting position and looking over at the Blood Fury’s lair. ‘We figure out a way to get him to join us. And that blood trick with Duskwing won’t work this time…’

‘So… what? Just sit here until he joins us voluntarily?’

Hiccup snorted. ‘Maybe. Better; we could ask the Elder for help.’

Endre sighed heavily as he shot a wary glance over at the lair. ‘If we stay here, one of us should keep watch. Duskwing seems to have a good handle on it, but we can’t have that Blood Fury attacking us.’

Hiccup nodded in agreement as he examined Toothless one more time. ‘I think we should try and get back to Dharcrest once Toothless is feeling up to it. I think we can trust the Elder to see Toothless; maybe he can help with these cuts.’

* * *

Thankfully, the Blood Fury left them alone, and after half an hour Toothless was up again. As the group headed back to Dharcrest, they stopped at the edge of the forest coming back, while Endre stayed behind to keep an eye on Toothless and to watch out for the Blood Fury.

Hiccup approached the village alone, walking down the same path, spotting the familiar gate, but the two guards were of slightly different heights; if the same dark leather costumes. As Hiccup approached, they didn’t brandish their spears, but they raised their voices as they called out.

‘Halt! Who go there?’

Hiccup frowned. ‘I thought your Elder said you could talk normally to me?’

The guard on the left coughed uncomfortably. ‘Wait, you’re that fake hunter – Hiccup?’

‘Yes, that’s me – Hiccup the obviously-not-dangerous-fake-hunter!’ Hiccup answered with an annoyed frown. ‘Can I come in, or do you need to check with the Elder first?’

The guard on the right inclined his head. ‘Would you prefer the Elder come to you, or for us to show you to him? The Elder has cleared you welcome in the village, so it is up to you.’

Hiccup blinked and gripped his chin thoughtfully. ‘Actually, if the Elder could come out to see me, that would be preferable. And alone or with Sieg if he really needs to drag him around.’

The guards nodded. ‘Anything else he should know?’

‘I’d prefer just to tell him with as few ears around as possible.’

The guards narrowed their eyes but they opened the gate and the one on the right went inside. Hiccup waited patiently, but it wasn’t long before he spotted the Elder’s obsidian robe alongside the heavily armoured Sieg beside him. The pair seemed to be carrying small backpacks, and Hiccup guessed they were expecting to travel. The guards bowed as the pair passed through the gate and approached him, their expressions calm and guarded.

‘Ah, Hiccup. You wished to see me?’

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder to make sure no villagers or guards had followed. ‘I want to discuss the Blood Fury, but… preferably out of earshot of the village. I want you to be the first to know, and I suppose you too, Sieg. You can decide whether to share it with the village or not.’

The Elder inclined his head. ‘Of course. The Blood Fury’s secrets are safe with me.’

Hiccup snorted as he turned around. ‘You don’t need to tell _me_ that.’

The Elder waved pleasantly at the two guards by the gate. ‘Don’t worry! We’ll be out of earshot, but you’ll still be able to see me! I’m sure he won’t skewer me – at least not in front of the village.’

Hiccup stared at him before he chuckled. ‘Well, lead on, Hiccup.’

_Does he want the village to freak out?_

He led the pair up the rocky path until the ground began to even out. The guards were mere specks by that point, and Hiccup couldn’t help but raise a hand and close one eye – they were no taller than his index fingernail. He was interrupted by Sieg’s gruff voice, deep voice.

‘Excuse me, Hiccup sir – you wanted to discuss something?’

Hiccup raised his eyebrows, facing the two apologetically.

‘Yes, well – we went to see your Blood Fury.’

The pair’s eyes lit up. ‘You did?’ The Elder answered excitedly, clapping his hands together. ‘Well? How did it go?’

‘Well… he’s not the friendliest dragon around.’

The Elder lowered his hands, disappointed but expectant. ‘Hence the name “Blood Fury”. While we protect him, he was not overly kind to us either. Even less to the hunters who came for him anyway.’

‘Wait – ‘ Hiccup frowned in confusion, ‘you _let_ hunters get to him?’

‘Only those who were not a real threat,’ the Elder explained with an unusually calm expression, ‘for he must get hungry sometimes, and it must be boring eating deer and the occasional wolf all the time.’

Hiccup blanched and looked away. ‘Um… forget I asked.’ He sighed. ‘Look, he attacked me, and my friend, Toothless, fought him. He’s been hurt, and while the wounds aren’t too bad, we need him up to speed as soon as possible, since we all rely on him to move properly. Would you be able to help?’

The Elder and Sieg both stared at him in surprise.

‘To clarify, we would have to _see_ him. In person. Dragon. You know.’ The Elder gazed at him. ‘And you’re allowing us to do so?’

Hiccup couldn’t help but look away. ‘Yes. I figure I can at least trust you two.’

The Elder than threw his palms up gleefully, causing Hiccup to step back in shock as the old man’s voice boomed in their ears.

‘Sieg! We get to meet a dragon! Do you know what this means?’ He then shook his guard like a ragdoll, grinning like a child. ‘Are you not excited, Sieg?!’

‘Y-yes sir…’

From his exasperated sigh, Hiccup guessed this was not the first time Sieg dealt with something like this.

‘The guards can still see us, you know…’

The Elder immediately froze, quickly retracting his grip and placing his hands together calmly. ‘Of course. Lead the way to Toothless, if you please.’

Hiccup sighed as well as he went, hoping that the guards below hadn’t overhead the outburst.

* * *

To their surprise, Duskwing was waiting for them in the shade of the trees, his eyes only being clearly visible. The Elder and Sieg froze as they spotted him, but Duskwing quickly retreated further into the trees, leaving Endre emerging with folded arms as they approached.

‘So you showed up after all.’

The Elder serenely, before speaking up again in excitement. ‘Those yellow eyes – was that your friend Toothless?’

Endre shook his head. ‘No. That was another Night Fury we picked up on the way here.’

‘Two dragons!’ Sieg groaned as the Elder shook him again. ‘There are two–‘

Hiccup cleared his throat loudly. ‘I think it would be best for everyone if you didn’t yell out every time you find a dragon. After all, they’re nearly extinct, and we can’t afford to have hunters come after us…’

The Elder quickly retracted and adopted a solemn expression. ‘Yes… that would make sense. After all, the land had many dragons years ago, but they quickly disappeared. And yet... the Blood Fury stayed behind.’

Endre nodded stiffly, moving closer and causing both of them to flinch and pinch their noses. ‘It’s good you understand. Now _be quiet_ and you can see Toothless.’

Sieg glanced at his superior out of the corner of his eye. ‘That may be a tall order, Endre sir.’

‘Hmph.’

The Elder struggled to maintain a calm demeanour as they entered the trees, and not a few steps later, the pair froze as they saw Toothless curled up in the grass, with Duskwing standing watch not a few feet behind. Sieg stood still, but the Elder stepped forward slowly.

‘At last – as my father and father before wished to see in their lifetimes, here is one, right before me…’

Toothless raised his head to look at the strangers curiously, looking over at Hiccup beside them.

‘It’s alright, bud, you can trust them.’ He glanced over at Duskwing, who was watching the strangers suspiciously. ‘Same to you, Duskwing.’

The Elder stopped as the dragons looked at him, tilting his head in surprise. ‘They’re… a lot cuter than I expected.’

Endre and Sieg coughed uncomfortably, but the Elder approached Toothless , raising his open hand towards the Night Fury. ‘Toothless? May I?’

Hiccup nodded encouragingly and Toothless lowered his head. The Elder gently touched his forehead, rubbing his hand gently across the surface.

‘Ah… same as the scale. Such beautiful texture…’

He then stepped around to Toothless’ side and examined his furled wing, stretching it a little to get an idea of its length. He glanced at Toothless’ tailfin briefly before coming back to his head. Hiccup opened his mouth in protest as the Elder widened Toothless’ jaw and pointing his head down the dragon’s throat, with the dragon looking around in confusion.

‘Uh… that’s a really bad idea!’

‘Hmm… no sign of fire glands or anything here… huh?’

Sieg pursed his lips in protest as he raised his voice. ‘Sir – may I remind you that is a dragon?’

The Elder quickly pulled his head out and let go of Toothless’ jaws, who exercised his jaw uncomfortably. ‘Ah. Yes, it wouldn’t do to have my head blown off.’

Hiccup heaved slightly as he covered his mouth. Endre grunted impatiently and walked up to Toothless, gesturing at Toothless’ open wounds.

‘I believe _these_ were the reason we brought you. Can you help with them or not?’

The Elder took a moment to notice the red gashes on Toothless’ snout and shoulders. ‘Wait, _these_ are the wounds you were talking about? In the grand scheme of things they only look like paper cuts.’

Hiccup cleared his throat after regaining his composure. ‘Yes, well, paper cuts can still hurt. Thankfully, Night Furies don’t have long claws, or they would have been a lot worse.’

Toothless stretched his head out a little to give the Elder a closer look, who studied the wounds closely.

‘I’ve never treated a dragon’s wounds before. However…’ he slipped out a large, decorated glass vial, ‘this ointment may help.’

Endre studied the vial sceptically. ‘And you just happened to carry it around in a travel bag?’

The Elder tipped his head back toward Sieg. ‘Well, _he_ insisted I bring some way to deal with cuts from rocks and branches. As if I cannot avoid them myself! But it has its uses.’

He knelt towards the Night Fury, who sniffed at the ointment and recoiled a little at the smell.

‘Forgive me, this may sting a little, but it should make it easier to move about and will heal faster.

Toothless reluctantly stretched his head out again, and began to apply the thick liquid along with a clean, white rag to the open wounds. Toothless flinched at the first touch, but relaxed after as he got used to the stinging sensation for each cut.

Hiccup couldn’t help but watch Sieg; the guard’s armour was rattling ever so slightly, and he was trying to keep his gaze fixed on the Elder, but Hiccup could tell he was getting increasingly distracted. Hiccup scanned the forest for any other sound or movement, but didn’t see or hear anything.

‘Uh… Sieg, you okay there? You look like you’re about to blow off steam or throw up last night’s dinner.’

Sieg looked at him hesitantly, before standing at attention toward the Elder.

‘Sir! Permission to pet the dragon, sir!’

The Elder answered without his application being interrupted. ‘Permission granted.’

Hiccup frowned dejectedly. ‘Hey, isn’t that something you should be asking _me_?’

Endre snorted as they ignored him, Sieg carefully dropping his weapon and removing his gloves. Hiccup watched him in surprise, staring as the guard stepped around Toothless and slowly approached Duskwing behind them.

‘I’d appreciate it if you didn’t scare Duskwing off,’ Hiccup called out, and Duskwing observed the approaching stranger with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

Sieg approached with light footsteps, and Duskwing to their surprise, stood still as he approached. The guard knelt on one knee, and slowly held out his right hand in an open palm, as if holding something out. Duskwing sniffed at his fingers, growling curiously as the guard turned his hand over to allow him to sniff both sides. The Fury then licked the tips of his fingers, and Sieg gradually reached out to scratch the tip of his nose, the dragon closing his eyes calmly.

‘Huh.’ Endre looked impressed. ‘You seem to know your way around animals.’

Sieg gently ran his palm over the dragon’s forehead. ‘You remind me of an old friend… Farli. He was smaller than you, but that fierce, noble gaze in the eyes is very much the same…’

‘Farli?’ Hiccup repeated, to which the Elder elaborated as the older man continued to work.

‘His pet wolf. Many years ago.’

Hiccup nodded in understanding. ‘Oh. I’m sorry, Sieg.’

Sieg inhaled heavily as Duskwing opened his eyes to look at him longingly. ‘I very much would have liked to take Duskwing home, raise him… It would have been the highest honour among our village. To train a dragon.’ He glanced downwards. ‘But I know he is required elsewhere.’

Hiccup and Endre nodded emphatically. ‘That’s true… along with the Blood Fury.’ Hiccup took a deep breath, and walked over to the Elder, who seemed to be just about finished.

‘Speaking of him, we need your help with the Blood Fury too.’

The Elder was silent as he stood up and put away his medicine. He faced Hiccup, towering over him with a disturbingly serene expression.

‘In what manner?’

Hiccup gulped. ‘We need him to trust us, enough to follow us back to the dragon’s home.’

The Elder looked him in the eye for several seconds, before turning slightly to look back to the northwest. ‘And what if I said I didn’t want him to leave?’

Hiccup frowned tensely, as did Endre, but neither of them spoke.

‘Understand this; we do not protect the Blood Fury solely out of the goodness of our hearts,’ the Elder continued. ‘We have a mutually beneficial relationship with him. We protect him from the most dangerous hunters, and in turn, he protects us from the most dangerous of predators that roam these lands. The only reason we had so many guards and weapons supplied is the frequency of wolf packs and bears running across our valley. Ever since the Blood Fury showed up, though, such things have become very scarce. We rarely cross paths with him, so we leave each other alone.’

He faced Hiccup again, who raised his head to look him in the eye. ‘Do you understand my hesitation? If the Blood Fury leaves, things will become more dangerous for my people.’

‘I understand, sir.’ Hiccup stood straight and gazed at him firmly. ‘But the Blood Fury is just one dragon. If he stays here, he won’t last forever. If we don’t take him, and the Night Furies go extinct, there won’t be any chance for them to return to this place. Ever.’ He looked away sympathetically. ‘I know you want to do what’s best for the village, but what’s best for him? Apart from surviving, there’s nothing for him here. He’ll never be with his own kind, and he will never have a family, like Toothless has. Are you willing to deny him that? After all he’s done for the village already?’

Sieg and the Elder stared back at him, speechless for a moment. The Elder closed his eyes for a moment, turning back to Toothless and kneeling to look the dragon in the eye. Toothless looked back, gently cooing hopefully, and the Elder exhaled.

‘Very well. I... understand the importance of this task. Though I may not see the results myself… I hope one of my children one day will understand.’

He fished out the vial of ointment, nonchalantly tossing it to Hiccup, who almost dropped it after catching it off-guard. ‘I assume the Blood Fury was wounded in the fight as well?’ Hiccup nodded. ‘Then this should help you earn his trust. Hopefully, he will recognise the scent as being from our village. However,’ he creased his brow regretfully, ‘I cannot help you in a direct way. The closest we’ve ever gotten to him was him watching us from thick underbrush.’

Hiccup gripped the vial in between his fingers, holding it up to a ray of sunlight. ‘That’s fine. At least this gives me a few ideas to go on.’ He clasped it eagerly and bowed his head. ‘Thank you.’

The Elder bowed back. ‘While it pains me to know the last dragon will leave... I hope he finds a brighter future than here. I doubt I’ll see a dragon again before I pass on from this world, but if you are successful, dragons may one day return here for my descendents to share the land with.’

Hiccup stared up at him, speechless, but the Elder only smiled warmly before snapping his fingers. ‘Come, Sieg. It’s time we got back.’

He strode over to where the trees started again, but stopped when he realised Sieg hadn’t moved. ‘Sieg?’

The guard sighed miserably, bowing his head to Duskwing before standing up. ‘Farewell, Duskwing… sir.’

The smaller Fury hummed sadly as he turned to leave. However, the guard stopped before Hiccup and stood at attention in his presence. ‘Hiccup, sir. I have something for you… and a favour, if you will.’

Hiccup blinked and shook himself lucid. ‘Shoot.’

The guard raised a confused brow momentarily. ‘While I was with Duskwing, I found this…’

He held out his hand, and Hiccup stared at the object in shock. He rubbed his eyes and looked again; almost sure his eyes were deceiving him.

It was a white dragon scale.

‘Are you… are you _sure_ you found this on Duskwing?’

Sieg nodded firmly. ‘He likes being scratched behind those frills… and I found it after it fell from his head.’

Hiccup reached out and took it, turning it over in his palm. The texture was unmistakably a Night Fury’s.

‘As for the favour, sir,’ the guard continued, ‘if you would allow it, may I keep the scale?’

‘Huh?’ Hiccup blinked in surprise, before breaking into a huge grin. ‘Of course! You found it, you keep it. I’ve already gotten what I need from it.’

Sieg smiled back, his eyes almost glittering in appreciation. ‘I will treasure this gift… from you and Duskwing.’

The pair glanced at the dragons regretfully as they left, and Hiccup watched them go. Despite his mixed feelings at their parting, Dharcrest was what Hiccup was hoping for; a group of humans who treated dragons with respect and left them alone. More importantly, they were able to figure that out on their own long before he came along.

‘What are you so happy about?’

Hiccup blinked to glance at the large warrior standing beside him, realising he was smiling.

‘I was just thinking, with people like them around… Maybe there is hope for dragons to return after all.’

Endre stiffened his beard, and turned away. ‘It isn’t worth the risk. It would be better if the dragons stayed far away from humans – just look what happened to the Night Furies.’

His words stabbed at him like daggers, and Hiccup clenched his brow miserably. After a moment of silence, they dropped the issue and returned to the dragons. Hiccup checked over Toothless’ wounds, and the dragon seemed to be in a much better mood and was able to move around better.

‘So…’ Endre spoke slowly, ‘do you have a plan?’

Hiccup nodded after a moment. ‘Yes... I guess. Can you hunt for us?’

Endre nodded after a moment of surprise. ‘Yes. Hm… so lure it out with food? I guess I can’t think of a better plan.’

‘Not just food.’ Hiccup gradually broke into a grin. ‘The best smelling meat that dragon has ever smelled!’

Endre starched the back of his head. ‘Urgh…’

The group then set out to return to the Blood Fury’s cavern, setting up camp in the flat clearing they had ended up in.

* * *

That night, the group helped prepare a deer Endre had caught as he left them for a few hours in the afternoon. While there was some gruesome work, Toothless and Duskwing were quite effective at gobbling up the messy part as Endre used Luna to take apart the carcasses in manageable chunks.

Hiccup and Endre also turned out to know enough about plants to gather some effective seasoning for the meat, and while they only had one medium sized pan for cooking contained in the luggage, they were able to make the meat smell pleasant enough for both Toothless and Duskwing to start watering at the mouth. As they all enjoyed the meal, and Hiccup having to keep Toothless from knocking over and destroying their campfire to get at the carcass, he kept watch for any movement from the Blood Fury’s cavern. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him that night.

They didn’t give up, however, and they alternated meals each day for the next week between fish and other wildlife large enough to feed dragons. However, Toothless and Duskwing seemed to better respond to their seasoning with fish than mammals, and on the third night, with the seasoned fish cooling on skewers, they finally spotted movement. The Blood Fury’s eyes glowing in the dark were distant, and disappeared as soon as they looked over... but it was progress.

The Blood Fury watched them longer as the nights went on, getting closer and closer each night, until the dark dragon was close enough for the light of their campfire to cast his shadow behind him. He was hunched over, his red eyes more focused on scanning the area around them than the food itself.

‘So. Your plan worked… finally.’ Endre said quietly. ‘Now what?’

‘Watch.’

Toothless watched him worriedly, standing close to Hiccup as the Viking grabbed three of the skewered fish and stepped towards the Blood Fury. The dragon didn’t move, but lowered his head and growled threateningly. Hiccup stopped, and decided to sit there, several metres away.

He stuck the three sticks into the ground beside him, waving his hand out towards them. ‘You want one? It’s all yours.’

The Blood Fury sniffed at the fish curiously, but quickly growled again as he glanced between Hiccup and Endre in the back. Hiccup waited for a couple of minutes, but the dragon didn’t budge.

‘Well, if you’re not gonna…’

Hiccup grabbed the nearest fish and making sure it was free from wood, began eating in an exaggerated manner, patting his stomach with several satisfied grunts. Toothless and Endre stared at him awkwardly, unable to look away. Duskwing just closed his eyes and ran his paw down his forehead.

It seemed to do the trick, though, and the Blood Fury’s eyes dilated slightly as he took a couple of steps forward. He stopped a few feet from Hiccup, eyeing the fish hungrily.

Hiccup finished with the first fish, and took the next one off its skewer, holding it out to the dragon with both hands. The Blood Fury growled, but his eyes remained dilated. Hiccup waited a few seconds, and then tossed the fish toward the dragon, who caught it in his mouth and munched before swallowing after a couple of seconds. His frills shot up vigorously, stepping forward, and snapping the third fish in his mouth. Hiccup quickly grabbed the skewer and pulled it loose so the dragon could chomp it freely.

The Blood Fury took time to savour the taste of the fish before swallowing, letting out a satisfied belch. He quickly narrowed his eyes at Hiccup as the fish ran out; backing up one step but his eyes were dilated and significantly less hostile than before.

‘Hey, come on. Stay. You have nothing to fear from us.’ As the Blood Fury shot Endre another suspicious look, Hiccup grinned. ‘And the only reason the fish tasted as good as it did was because of him.’

The Fury widened his red eyes for a moment, twitching his frills as he carefully stepped away from Hiccup and circled around towards Endre, soon switching his focus to the warrior. Endre turned slowly to face him as he approached, but thankfully remained calm and made no attempt to reach for his axe. Toothless and Duskwing, however, kept their eyes trained on him in case of any sudden movements.

The Blood Fury gradually sniffed towards Endre, his frills quickly falling back and trying to expel Endre’s scent from his nostrils.

‘If you’re gonna do that, sniff his hands,’ Hiccup clarified.

The dragon’s eyes flicked in his direction but kept facing in the warrior’s direction. The warrior awkwardly turned and raised his palms, and the dragon slowly sniffed again. His frills gradually rose again, humming a little.

‘There. You see? We’re not going to hurt you.’ Hiccup stood and approached the dragon slowly, one hand outstretched. ‘Now please, don’t shoot me again, or… well I won’t be able to cook fish for you. Get it?’

The Blood Fury snorted derisively, but remained where he was as Hiccup took another step. Hiccup couldn’t help but hesitate and gulp as the Fury stared at him, almost as if challenging him.

_Nope. I’ve seen far scarier dragons than you, pal._

He smiled to himself as he stepped forward. For some reason, the Fury looked as if he was smiling too, staring down at outstretched hand with a toothy grin.

He hesitated a moment too late, and the dragon snapped his jaws firmly around his wrist.

‘YEOW!’

Hiccup quickly pulled his hand from the dragon’s mouth in a panic, but thankfully his hand was still intact, if somewhat red and swollen – along with a couple of large round tooth marks.

He clutched his hand for a few moments before he noticed Toothless standing in front of him, the dragon’s wings fanned out as he growled threateningly. The Blood Fury shot him a dismissive look and snorted before turning away.

‘Hey wait, don’t go!’

Hiccup groaned a little, but the Blood Fury eyed him scornfully as Toothless reluctantly stepped aside.

‘Seriously, what was that for?!’ He waved his hand a little in an attempt to cool it. ‘I give you fish and this is how you return the favour?’

The Blood Fury continued to watch him, amusement creeping into the dragon’s eyes again. As Hiccup calmed down, he soon heard throaty, soft chuckles coming from over by the fire. Duskwing’s yellow eyes were half lidded as he also watched the Viking with delight.

‘Oh what, you think it’s funny?’ Hiccup harrumphed as he walked over to the saddlebags, digging through for some thin bandages. ‘Maybe I’ll call you Jerkwing from now on. How’s that sound?’

Endre, meanwhile, was trying to keep his gaze fixed on the fire but was unable to stare awkwardly on occasion. ‘I... hope that means he’s not hostile anymore.’

Hiccup snorted. ‘I’ve established that if one of us dies the fish cannot taste as good.’ He frowned at the Blood Fury indignantly. ‘And if you bite me, it’s sure not gonna help!’

The Blood Fury growled boorishly, turning away again.

‘Wait, wait...’ Hiccup sighed reluctantly. ‘Don’t go. We need you to come with us.’

The Blood Fury narrowed his eyes towards the Viking before turning his snout up – then snapped to Toothless as the Night Fury barked aggressively. The Blood Fury barked straight back, which left Toothless momentarily stumped as he could only stare back.

‘What are they doing?’ Hiccup puzzled to himself.

Endre answered after a moment’s thought. ‘Maybe he wants to know _why_ he should come with us.’

‘Oh, so the fish isn’t enough?’

Toothless barked again after studying Hiccup for a moment, to which the Blood Fury snorted again.

‘I think he’s repeating what you’re saying...’ Endre said uncertainly. ‘Keep talking.’

Hiccup studied the Blood Fury again, who was wholly focused on Toothless now. _Well, that sounds like the fish_ weren’t _enough..._

‘Toothless, tell him about the Hidden World. It’s much better than this place, and he’ll be safe there.’

Toothless shot him a sideways glance before grunting slowly and more gently than before. The Blood Fury’s frills relaxed a little, but he still glared at Toothless doubtfully.

_Still not enough? What would make a lone dragon want to come to the Hidden World...?_

As he thought of the hidden world, he quickly pictured the scattered flocks of Light Furies flying through the caverns.

‘Hm... What about the female dragons? Maybe mention the Light Furies?’

Toothless blinked for a second as he stared back, letting out a protesting growl.

‘What?’ Hiccup stared at his partner in confusion as the dragon ducked his head under his paw.

Endre’s beard twitched. ‘I don’t think he’d be comfortable mentioning his mate in that context.’

‘Oh...’ Hiccup couldn’t help but smirk cheekily, as the Blood Fury was now watching them both with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

‘Fine.’ Hiccup stepped forward. ‘Just so you know, there’s other dragons there... and there may be some pretty female white dragons.’ He shrugged his shoulders, opening one eye as the dragon’s frills stiffened. ‘But, I guess if you’re happy with just staying here – alone – for the rest of your life...’

The Blood Fury was noticeably more focused now, gazing at Hiccup thoughtfully for almost a minute before he growled toward Toothless curiously. It was the Night Fury’s turn to snort dismissively, turning away from the conversation and walking off, but not before whipping the back of Hiccup’s good leg causing him to stumble onto his backside.

‘Hey! This is assault!’ Hiccup protested as he rubbed his hindquarters. ‘First him, now you? I’m going to be covered in bruises by the time I get home.’

Toothless snorted indignantly as he curled up on the other side of the fire.

‘Oh come on, Toothless. I didn’t mean Moondust in particular. I’m _pretty_ sure there were other Light Furies that could have been available, you know...?’

Toothless remained silent while the Blood Fury watched them ponderously.

‘That’s assuming you don’t find any female Night Furies...’ Endre said, ‘since that’s more the reason we’re here?’

Hiccup took a moment to respond. ‘Oh. Yeah, sure, but in case we don’t...’

He realised that Duskwing was staring at him, the young Fury completely baffled, and he chuckled with a wave of his hand.

‘Worry about that stuff when you’re older, Duskwing.’

Duskwing’s expression didn’t change immediately, but the dragon focused his attention on the fire again as he yawned. Hiccup managed to smile as the Blood Fury came closer, keeping his distance but sitting close enough for the flickering orange light to dance off his facial scales. He chose a flat spot between his lair behind and the fire, casting red flames in a circle as he sat down, and winced a little as he put pressure on his front paws. Hiccup watched him for a while before he spotted the partially healed wounds still scattered over his paws and shoulders.

He carefully got out the vial, along with one of his own rags, and slowly crept towards the dragon, who very quickly opened his red eyes to watch him, but remained sitting. Hiccup held out the vial cautiously and swirled the liquid inside.

‘This’ll help with those wounds. It might sting a little, though. Just hold out your paw...’

The dragon growled slightly as he sniffed at the vial, raised his head back with displeasure.

‘It’s _medicine_ ; it’s not supposed to smell good. Now hurry it up.’

He sighed when the dragon just recoiled his paw, though his eye twitched as he did so.

‘Look, I’m sure you remember fighting Toothless, and he’s moving around a lot better since we gave him this stuff. It’s hard to even tell he even fought you now.’

The large dragon raised his head to peer at Toothless over the fire. After a minute of studying him, he silently turned his head away, but slowly extended both his paws.

Hiccup relaxed. ‘Thanks. But... it might sting.’

The dragon remained composed as he applied the ointment to the wounds slowly, and the dragon’s only reaction throughout the process was to clench dirt in his claws. Once Hiccup was done, he carefully closed the vial and stood back, and it wasn’t until he sat down beside Endre that he felt a cascade of tension flow out of his body. Being around that dragon would take some work, even for him.

‘So... Is he coming with us?’ Endre said shortly.

Hiccup glanced warily at the distant dragon. ‘Well he’s sleeping outside of his lair... so I hope so.’

He watched the fire for a while, but found it difficult to think of sleeping, as if he was forgetting something. Something critical.

‘Wait... we haven’t named him!’

Duskwing grunted despondently with an annoyed snort, while Toothless perked a frill with interest.

‘Oh no.’

Hiccup folded his arms and frowned deeply at Endre and Duskwing. ‘Oh? I don’t suppose one of _you_ would like to do the honours?’

Endre scratched at his beard silently while Duskwing simply glared.

‘There. So I’m going to name him, and you’re not gonna complain.’

‘I don’t agree to that.’

‘Too bad.’

Hiccup cupped his chin and closed his eyes thoughtfully. As he ran through ideas in his head, two things kept popping up in his head over everything else; the dragon’s unusual red eyes, and Toothless’ teeth popping out for the first time.

‘I think I’ve got it!’

Endre sighed miserably. ‘How marvellous.’

Hiccup ignored him, turning around to make sure the large Blood Fury was listening. ‘From now on, your name is Bloodshot. So... there. Might as well get used to it!’

At first, Bloodshot didn’t respond, but suddenly flicked his tail and sending a small rock flying towards the Viking’s head. Hiccup ducked just in time before throwing his arms up.

‘Assault! I’m telling you, these dragons hate me!’

Endre, Toothless and Duskwing exchanged their own chuckles while Hiccup folded his arms and hunched his shoulders with a scowl. However, inwardly, he took comfort in the fact that Toothless now had two more dragons to share a future with.

_I just hope I can get them both to the Hidden World before they batter me beyond repair._


	6. Memory

Hiccup spent the night slipping in and out of slumber, having positioned himself so that Bloodshot was directly in his line of sight. In the early hours, almost every time he would doze off, he quickly snapped one eye open just to check the dragon was still there. Bloodshot stayed put as the night went on, and Hiccup’s dozing continued for longer and longer until he saw the orange rays of the sunrise – and then, as he opened his eyes once more, Bloodshot was gone. He shot up immediately as his eyes darted around.

‘Bloodshot! Where is he?!’

Endre and Toothless immediately sat up and looked in the same direction, Toothless quickly adopting a defensive stance as his eyes darted around for signs of an attack. Endre’s hand went to Luna, but he didn’t lift it in lieu of simply looking around warily.

Duskwing was the only one who remained sitting. He studied the recently awoken for a few seconds and yawned, before subtly raising one his upper frills.

Toothless glanced at the younger Fury briefly before raising his own corresponding appendage, and he quickly turned to look east. Hiccup and Endre fell silent, and they soon began to hear a periodic booming in that direction.

‘What _is_ he doing?’ Hiccup wondered out loud, relaxing his stance.

Endre let go of his axe. ‘You tell me. Toothless ever go missing in the mornings?’

‘He really doesn’t have a pattern... I just notice when he wakes me up a lot of the time.’

They fell silent as Toothless began to trot carefully towards the booming sound, which was echoing over a large series of rocky pillars ahead. Toothless quickly hugged the wall, brushing one wing against the rough surface as the booming became louder. Hiccup and Endre followed close behind him.

The wall eventually curved enough that they were close – and with each _boom_ shards of rock scattered over their heads. Toothless stopped and tucked his frills away nervously. He grunted and looked backwards as Hiccup tapped his flank timidly with Inferno’s hilt.

‘You go ahead, bud... we’ll, uh... back you up!’

Both Toothless and Endre semi-glared at him, and Endre sighed while pushing past Hiccup.

‘I’ll go first if it makes you more comfortable, Toothless...’

Hiccup stared at him. ‘Are you nuts? That’s suicidal!’

‘Bloodshot isn’t going to listen to us if we hide away like cowering rabbits!’

Hiccup averted his eyes somewhat shamefully as Endre and Toothless rounded the corner, and he soon followed after gripping Inferno in his hand firmly.

Upon emerging from behind the wall, Bloodshot spared them a momentary glance, but quickly returned to what he was doing: blasting solid rock with plasma. The series of rock faces were littered with large, yet clean holes surrounded by cracks emanating out from its centre. After keeping a keen eye on Bloodshot, who had already lost interest in them, Hiccup studied the rock faces worriedly. Bloodshot seemed to have been using this area for practice for a long time, and there were clear signs of collapse and tectonic instability around the dusty plain.

‘Uh, Bloodshot... that might not be such a good idea...’

The Blood Fury’s frills quickly snapped back as he snarled sharply at them with a slight turn of the head. Toothless snarled back, instinctively unfurling his wings protectively towards the two humans beside him. Bloodshot examined the dragon briefly, crouching down and aiming at another clean rock face, and shot another blood-red plasma ball and creating a whole new way for the rock to collapse.

‘You can’t stop him, Hiccup,’ Endre said gruffly, ‘It would be like talking to the rock.’

Hiccup slowly shook his head back. ‘And he won’t last long in the Hidden World if he goes around destroying things for target practice.’

Hiccup took a hesitant step forward, with Toothless and Endre keeping astride.

‘Look, Bloodshot, I don’t think you quite get it. The Hidden World isn’t a place where you have to worry about defending... yourself...’ – he paused thoughtfully – ‘as much.’ He gripped his chin. ‘Actually, scratch that. You’ll probably come across a lot of dangerous dragons. But you should find a better way to practice.’

Bloodshot rolled his eyes and shot again.

‘Do other dragons do this often?’ Endre wondered out loud as he watched.

Hiccup nodded. ‘Whatever they breathe, they practice. Funnily enough, those that breathe normal fire stick to rocks, and do far less damage than this.’

Toothless approached further while they remained where they were, standing away but beside him, facing the same rock face. He perked his frills up and tilted his head towards the Blood Fury, but the other dragon turned his head away bashfully. 

Hiccup grinned to himself as Toothless adopted a similar pose to Bloodshot, and shot his own ball of plasma into another untouched rock face. Bloodshot narrowed his eyes to examine it before growling with surprise – Toothless’ hole had generated noticeably longer cracks.

‘Oh great.’ Endre said deadpan.

Hiccup could only. ‘Hey, come now. He’s just trying to be friendly.’

Bloodshot glared out of the corner of his eye for several seconds before shooting again. He let the plasma build up a bit more before unleashing it, which generated even larger cracks branching further into the dwindling rock.

The humans watched in disbelief as the two dragon blasted the rock one after the other until shards began falling from the scattered holes and the ground began to rumble. Large chunks came off at the top and tumbled down the steep walls towards them.

‘See what you guys did?’ Hiccup called out frantically as he backpedalled. ‘Get out of there!’

Toothless quickly yelped as the first rock smashed into the ground before him, and dashed back towards his partner, but Bloodshot remained where he was.

‘What are you, deaf?’ Endre yelled. ‘You want to be crushed?!’

Toothless roared with concern at the same time, but Bloodshot remained in his crouched position, shooting any large rocks that rolled down in his direction.

Their horror gradually dissipated as the rocks scattered at the dragon’s feet, spiking again when the last of the wall fell and throwing up a shroud of dust. Hiccup and Endre waved and coughed a little as it settled, slowly walking forward until they could still see Bloodshot’s head poking up from where they last saw him.

The Blood Fury shook his head free of stone pellets as they approached, shifting some larger ones at his feet. He glanced at them awkwardly for a second before forcing his gaze away.

‘So… Was there a point to all that?’ Endre’s voice dripped with disdain as he glared at Bloodshot, not sparing Toothless a side glance.

‘Actually…’ Hiccup scratched his nose sheepishly, ‘that was pretty awesome.’

‘Say what?’

Hiccup ignored Endre’s incredulous stare, smiling at Bloodshot as convincingly as he could. The Fury widened his eyes with confusion for a few seconds before narrowing them again and looking away. The Viking’s shoulders slumped along with a tired frown.

‘For the love of Bork, can’t you take a compliment?’

Bloodshot snorted.

Endre strode toward the dragon stiffly, kicking one of the larger rocks in his path.

‘You need to come back with us. Now. You might have just alerted some hunters to our presence!’

Bloodshot looked him in the eye for a moment, before looking away awkwardly again. Endre turned away to walk the way they came, Toothless reluctantly following him after a backwards glance at Hiccup and Bloodshot.

Hiccup turned around as well, checking the dragon over his shoulder. ‘‘Don’t mind him… he’s just a little paranoid.’ He paused for a moment. ‘You coming?’

Bloodshot glanced at him for a split second, still looking away stubbornly.

‘You’re just a bundle of joy, you know that?’

He began to walk away, but didn’t turn his head back again. To his relief, he heard Bloodshot’s footsteps a fair distance behind as he followed the path back to the camp.

* * *

To their surprise, most of their camp was packed up by the time they got back, which came off as odd since they had clearly left it in a mess going after Bloodshot. Until they saw Duskwing nudging and pressing some of the pockets on the saddle closed. Hiccup looked around in amazement as he saw their fur skins neatly folded, the campfire destroyed, and a pile of leftover fish bones from Endre and Hiccup’s last meal.

‘How’d you manage all this, Duskwing? Hard to imagine it without thumbs or fingers.’

‘You _don’t say_?’

Hiccup ignored Endre, Duskwing glancing at him pleasantly with a shrug, before focusing on Hiccup’s dragonhide bag still attached to his outfit.

‘Oh yeah, the map…’

Endre gathered his things and faced Hiccup with folded arms, glancing over at Bloodshot who had sat far away, almost out of earshot.

‘You’re not going to hear anything unless you get closer. Get over here already!’

There was a second of still quiet.

‘If you don’t, we’re going to leave you behind.’

Hiccup frowned. ‘No we’re not!’

Endre clenched his jaw. ‘How else are you going to get him to follow us? And stay close enough to actually listen?’

Hiccup looked around carefully, the obvious answer being cooked fish, but right now that wasn’t an option. His gaze fell on the pile of fish bones just next to the campfire, gingerly picking one up by the tailbone and sniffing closely; it still smelled faintly of the sea and herbs.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Making sure Bloodshot will follow us.’

Endre watched him doubtfully as he fetched thick fishing line and tied the fish bone to the side of his bag. He raised it above his head and swung it a little side to side.

‘Hey Bloodshot! Just a reminder about the fish! If you want to keep eating it, you have to stick with us! If you get left behind, I can’t cook for you, after all…’

Bloodshot huffed after a moment and paced towards the group until he was close enough to sniff at the fish bones, his frills springing up momentarily, but fell flat when Hiccup strapped the backpack on. Hiccup and the others used their eyes to point out an open spot on the ground next to Duskwing, with everyone else gathered in a semicircle to face Hiccup. Bloodshot exhaled with annoyance as he sat next to the smaller Fury.

‘Now that we’ve found Bloodshot… well, my first thought was if we should go back to Dharcrest.’

Endre raised an eyebrow. ‘Why?’

Hiccup studied Bloodshot for a moment. ‘I mean, they lived in relative peace with each other for years, and since they’re losing out by him leaving, I figured it would at least be polite to see them…’

‘… with Bloodshot?’

The Viking exchanged a glance with the Blood Fury, who lowered his frills with displeasure.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. They kept their distance from each other for a reason. If he causes an – incident – I doubt they would look so favourably on dragons after that.’

Hiccup sighed sadly. ‘The village might lose hope without Bloodshot around, though…’

‘What about hunters?’ Endre said sharply. ‘You’d be risking Bloodshot’s exposure when it’s not necessary. Even Sieg and the Elder left us believing it would be the last they would see of us.’

Toothless and Bloodshot eyed the warrior tensely as he fell silent. Hiccup soon lowered his map in defeat.

‘Fine. We’ll leave. Now, the next question is – what direction?’

Endre paused. ‘You don’t have any idea?’

Hiccup turned the map around and pointed towards the northern continent. ‘Ultimately the place where Grimmel didn’t go is our best bet… but also the worst, since we won’t be able to take you there with us. If necessary, I would rather explore as much as we can on this side of the ocean divide before we go there.’

Endre fell silent. ‘Yes… Toothless wouldn’t be able to carry both of us as well as the saddle…’

Duskwing and Toothless watched him sadly, but Hiccup cleared his throat with a smile.

‘Hey, we’ll worry about that when we get there, alright? We’ll–’

Bloodshot interrupted them with a snort, and Hiccup’s smile was replaced with a scowl.

‘–figure something out.’

The warrior gave him a grateful nod before returning his gaze to the map. ‘So until you want to cross, where should we go?’

Hiccup turned the map over again as his eyes scanned the markings of sightings. Going south was pointless since they came from there, and the northwest and northeast ended quickly as the land and coast curved around gradually. Southeast took them the opposite direction from their final destination.

‘The only way that’s viable is East. There are quite a few scattered sightings, along with a lot of killings…’He paused for a moment as Bloodshot quietly growled out of the corner of his eye, ‘but they’re recorded in different places, so Night Furies might have come and gone from that area quite a bit.’ His eyes fell somewhat. ‘It’s not gonna be easy, though. It’s a much wider area than we’ve searched before, if only I had some direction or area to focus on.’

Endre stepped forward so he and Hiccup could look at the sheet. ‘That will take a long time to cover. It’s almost a quarter of the whole continent!’ He turned towards Hiccup. ‘How much time do you have to do this?’

‘Three months. Though it’s nearly down to two months now...’

Endre fell silent for a moment. ‘I suppose that’s fair if you both have families waiting for you.’

Hiccup inclined his head, curiously noting Bloodshot’s jealous glance at Toothless over the sheet. _Hmm…_

‘I suggest we start there,’ the warrior pointed a thick finger toward a series of criss-crossing contours. ‘The rock faces would give us good cover even with a fire. But…’ He glowered at Bloodshot for a moment, ‘we need to keep the noise down.’

‘Have you been there recently?’

‘Not really. About a month ago.’

‘Did you find any hunters?’

Endre closed his eyes with a frustrated sigh.

‘I did see quite a few that looked like hunters. Lone scouts, maybe. I never actually caught any, though.’

Hiccup narrowed his eyes for a moment. ‘I’m guessing by “caught”, you mean killed?’

‘So what if I do?’

There was a tense silence for a few seconds as they exchanged a glare, but quickly realised it was too quiet. Looking over the map, the three dragons were looking away in different directions uncomfortably.

The two humans cleared their throats and Hiccup folded the map up, glancing up towards the sky. ‘Well, the sooner we get going, the better. So let’s go!’

Endre grunted irritably as he took the lead back towards the rock walls, the group forming a line behind him as he hugged the wall to the left. Hiccup and Toothless came next, with Duskwing and finally Bloodshot lagging behind. The smaller Fury kept his amber eyes fixed on the Blood Fury ahead of him, calling shrilly whenever the larger dragon began to slow down or stray from the line.

* * *

It wasn’t long before they stopped, as Bloodshot soon became restless from staying on the open ground for so long. After half an hour, he started growling and huffing more and more, his eyes darting around anxiously. They stopped amongst a section of sparse trees to examine him, Hiccup paying close attention to the size of his pupils and motions of his frills.

‘He’s really uncomfortable. I guess he doesn’t like being on the ground too long unless it’s in his lair.’

Bloodshot stood still to look at him for a moment before pacing side to side in place.

‘So, he wants to fly?’ Endre flicked at his beard. ‘It’s too dangerous. He of all dragons should know the sounds of wings are a dead giveaway.’

Bloodshot stopped to shoot him a dejected look before he continued his pacing. Toothless shifted impatiently, pointing his head back to their path.

‘We need to get moving, though. Would it help if you glided from tree to tree?’

Bloodshot glanced at him curiously for a few seconds, before forcing his gaze away. However, his pacing stopped, and the dragon began scanning the trees around them.

Hiccup smiled and turned to Endre. ‘Good enough? If he jumps high enough the wings won’t make such a racket.’

Endre inhaled for a second before exhaling heavily. ‘Fine, fine. Let’s just get on with it. Keep an eye on him, though; we can’t have him getting separated.’

He glanced down at Duskwing for a moment before taking the lead again, and the smaller Fury soon had his eyes trained on the Blood Fury. As soon as they started moving, Bloodshot scrambled up the thickest tree in their path, cracking a lot of branches and making a racket, but thankfully it was the kind of racket that could be traced to a large bear or even a bat.

Bloodshot stuck to trees alongside the group, so Duskwing was able to keep an eye on him without leaving his position in the line. Endre did his best to ignore him, but Toothless couldn’t help but watch the other dragon enviously.

‘Ohh no, don’t even think about it Toothless,’ Hiccup warned, ‘you would get exhausted carrying that saddle. Now if you could get someone else to carry it, or swap places with Bloodshot... maybe. But I don’t think Bloodshot is the accommodating type.’

Toothless’ frills dropped with disappointment, but perked up quickly as he looked around at the other members of the group, starting with Hiccup with puppy-dog eyes.

‘Uh huh... No. Sorry bud, kinda busy with the map here.’

He ducked his head behind the map, but kept a curious eye on the dragon as Toothless edged his head out further to the smaller dragon walking behind him. Duskwing narrowed his eyes sharply with a snort before returning his attention to falling branches to their far left.

Hiccup widened his eyes as Toothless barked hopefully up in that direction, but Bloodshot responding with a sharp, callous roar. Toothless, unfazed, quickened his pace and nudged Endre in the back. The warrior froze for a split second before brandishing his axe, swinging himself in several directions.

‘What?! Are we under attack? Hunters?!’

He continued scanning the trees around them before the silence became apparent, with everyone, even Bloodshot from above staring at him.

‘Uh… no.’ Hiccup fought the urge to smile. ‘Actually, keeping an eye out for hunters is… kind of _your_ job. Though I’m at least telling myself Bloodshot is doing something similar.’

Endre’s shoulders slumped. ‘Ugh. That racket he makes may not be worth it. It makes it _really_ difficult to hear anything now! Let alone Hunters setting a trap!’

Hiccup shrugged. ‘Look on the bright side; it would be the wrong kind of trap.’

The warrior threw up his hands and groaned, turning away dismissively.

‘And speaking of rackets… well, Toothless was wondering if you’d be willing to carry the saddle for him.’

Endre turned slightly to see Toothless grinning at him with wide eyes, shifting himself so the saddle was lifted towards him.

‘And _why_ would I do that?’

‘So he can do what Bloodshot is doing.’

Endre stared at the dragon incredulously for several seconds before turning around, aimlessly hacking at branches in his way, grumbling under his breath. The group quickly fell into step, though Toothless whined with disappointment, and Endre answered this with another groan.

‘I’ll go insane if I have to listen to _double_ that incessant tree-leaping!’

Toothless fell silent, but dropped his head as he walked. The large warrior ahead glanced at him over his shoulder a couple of times before sighing reluctantly.

‘Don’t give me that look. I’ll tell you what–‘ Toothless raised his head a little, ‘–convince Bloodshot to _stop that racket_ and I’ll carry it.’

Toothless crowed happily and turned his head.

‘But wait until we’ve stopped for camp. Unless you can somehow sound like a couple of bears or wolves when you exchange… whatever you do.’

The dragon snorted with annoyance.

The warrior sighed tiredly as he continued. ‘The things I put up with sometimes…’

* * *

Endre’s qualms did not abate, as Toothless soon began practicing his calls while trying to sound as non-dragon like as possible. Somehow, it sounded more alien than even his normal calls did, but Hiccup found it entertaining enough that the hours went by a little quicker.

They neared their first destination in the late afternoon. There was a lake connected to a river system branching east, and that river system was the best guide he could find to explore the area in a focused pattern. Once their path eased with the trees scattering, Bloodshot soon settled for walking on the ground again. Endre held up a hand and the group stopped as they saw the clear water in the distance.

‘Now listen. We might not be the only ones who think that lake is a useful landmark.’

Hiccup cleared his throat pre-emptively. ‘So, there are probably hunters camping around here, or waiting in ambush with terrible life-threatening traps and whatnot.’

He was answered with narrowed eyes. ‘Maybe you should take this a bit more seriously.’

‘Oh, I am serious. I seriously think you’re being even more paranoid than normal.’

Endre folded his arms. ‘What do you mean, “paranoid”? And what makes you think it’s unjustified?’

Hiccup lowered his map to look around. ‘Ever since we left Daler, there hasn’t been any sign of hunters – recently, that is. Maybe the dragon hunters have all moved on? I mean, ten years with no dragons around… That business isn’t doing so hot anymore. Unless you’ve seen hunters recently? And not just scouts who “could” have been hunters?’

Endre opened his mouth for a retort, but could only grunt before closing his mouth.

‘Fine. But we’re still not camping in the open – just close enough to see it. Let’s find some open ground.’

The group circled around the south side, and they soon a ring of scattered trees that were thick enough on all sides to hide their presence, and the forest was thin enough to the north for the lake to be clear in the distance. Once Hiccup undid the straps on the saddle and let it down to the ground, Toothless quickly ran up the nearest tree and hung by his tail, letting his wings relax.

‘Now,’ Endre began, ‘ _I’m_ going to do a round of the lake to make sure no hunters are, or were here. All of you stay put.’

Hiccup watched him go dispassionately before glancing over to the other Furies, who were watching the dragon hanging above them longingly.

‘Hey, you guys are free to join him if you want.’

Duskwing’s eyes glinted playfully as he hopped up the branches of the tree, watching Toothless curiously as he passed over his branch, before slowly wrapping his tail around it and hanging wobbly alongside him. Toothless chirped encouragingly, before giving an inviting call down to Bloodshot.

The Blood Fury huffed briefly, hooking his claws into the bark and prowling up the surface. The look in his eye put Hiccup on edge.

‘Uh... Maybe you two should get off that now...’

Toothless tilted his upside-down head curiously, before watching Bloodshot optimistically.

_Don’t get your hopes up, bud..._

Bloodshot stood at the base of the branch, an unreadable twinkle in his eye. Toothless and Duskwing growled nervously as the seconds ticked by, until Bloodshot grinned and shot straight down through the branch.

Toothless and Duskwing unfurled their wings before they dropped too far, Duskwing immediately snarling with disapproval, but Bloodshot simply watched them with amusement. Toothless exhaled through his nostrils with a sullen look, and simply landed on the ground. Bloodshot narrowed his eyes in annoyance, quickly leaping to the ground as well.

Hiccup folded his arms as he watched them, and couldn’t help but smile. They reminded him of three kids that just started their lessons together, still not used to each other’s presence. He couldn’t tell if Bloodshot really didn’t like them or just didn’t know how to act around other dragons.

_Well... if he’s been alone all his life... it doesn’t surprise me._

‘You know, Bloodshot, there are better ways of making friends.’

Bloodshot shot him a dismissive glare, walking off towards a gap in the trees and curling up in the sun. Toothless and Duskwing ignored the dragon, however, and Toothless called to the smaller dragon playfully. Duskwing’s eyes widened for a second as Toothless leapt towards him, rolling out of the way and dashing off. Toothless chased him around the scattered trees for a minute, and while Toothless was enjoying himself, Duskwing looked deflated and somewhat annoyed.

The smaller Fury sat amongst some bushes, but Toothless faced him in a crouched position, darting side to side as if waiting for him to initiate. Duskwing watched him sullenly for a minute before growling in defeat, standing up, and walking towards him. Toothless dashed off into the trees in an attempt to hide.

‘Hey, hey, Toothless! Don’t go too far, remember!’

Duskwing went along with the dragon’s games, since Toothless’ scent was all too familiar to him. Toothless didn’t seem discouraged, though; just enjoying himself while he could. The dragons continued their shenanigans until Endre returned an hour later. The warrior didn’t look any more relaxed, but no worse, either.

‘So I’m guessing there _are_ no hunters here, right?’

Endre took a moment to respond. ‘Yes. Fine. We can set up camp now.’ He glanced over at some thick bushes, Toothless attempting to hide but not bothering to close his eyes, with Duskwing fighting off the urge to look directly at him.

‘What are they doing?’

‘Just trying to play hide and seek.’

Endre sighed. ‘Just make sure he doesn’t actually hide from us.’

Duskwing crowed with relief when Toothless came out to follow them, Hiccup unpacking his saddle in the rings of trees. Bloodshot opened one eye before getting up only to find another sunny spot to curl up in within their circle.

‘Did you actually find anything, though? Anything that could help us with the search?’

Endre paused thoughtfully. ‘I did cross the stream to the northeast, which had enough large rocks and was shallow enough for me to get over. The water was clean and fresh, and with the flow it’s likely we can get some fish from it or the lake this evening.’

_Fish again? After a week of cooking?_ ‘Oh joyous hour…’

He turned around to go for his fishing equipment only to stare straight into large red eyes staring at him hungrily.

‘Gah! Ah – Bloodshot! Yes, I will be getting that fish,’ he circled around the dragon tenderly, ‘delicious, delicious fish that may-or-may-not have herbs this time.’ He got around to fetching his line and disassembled rod, muttering to himself. ‘Though it would help if you fished some yourself…’

He also brought his cooking pot, while Endre simply assembled his fishing trap and carried it under his arm. Bloodshot soon followed them as they left the circle of trees, and the other Furies soon followed behind.

The clear, flowing water and setting sun between the trees would have been tranquil and relaxing were it not for the three hungry dragons that stared at him constantly as he cast his line. The intensity of Bloodshot’s gaze almost made him feel like a prisoner on the executioner’s block. Meanwhile, Endre set up his fish trap a fair distance to their left in shallow water among tall reeds, returning after a few minutes, finding a comfortable position and placing a dry rag over his eyes for a nap.

Hiccup watched him dejectedly for another minute before turning to the dragons impatiently. He had a strong inkling the dragons were keeping the fish away.

‘Well don’t just stand there! If you guys are so hungry, fetch some yourselves! That, or go away, since the fish can _somehow_ sense your presence…’

Bloodshot was the first sprung to action, and he at least had the sense to glide silently over the surface on the far side of the lake. Toothless quickly followed suit, but kept his distance from the Blood Fury toward the northeast section of the lake. Duskwing remained on the ground, and as the minutes ticked by, alternated between checking on Hiccup’s progress and coiling up next to Endre.

Since fishing required a significant amount of waiting, Hiccup couldn’t help but observe the larger Furies as they dived in and out of the water, using their mouths to try and snap up perch and salmon that disturbed the surface. Hiccup grimaced as he watched. _Well, I did ask them to help… urgh._

It took nearly half an hour before their first fish was caught. Bloodshot finally had a thick, wriggling salmon wriggling between his unsheathed teeth. Hiccup smiled and waved as he called out.

‘Good job! Now just drop it in the pot here, and I can–’

Bloodshot sailed right over him, dropping the wet, slimy fish directly onto his head. Heat immediately rose in his throat, but he forced it down with closed eyes as the heavy fish wriggled and mangled his hair.

_It’s only until he can get back to the Hidden World, and he’ll be out of my hair. And beard. Only two more months… two whole months with this nutcase…_

He ignored the painful slaps on his cheek as he grabbed the fish’s tail and dropped it in the pot next to him. He glanced up to see Toothless hovering, chuckling through the clenched fish in his teeth.

‘Don’t. Even. Think about it.’

Hiccup kept the pot close and planted on top of his head whenever Bloodshot approached after that. By the time the dragon even started behaving, the pot had enough fish for all of them – a dozen all up. Hiccup didn’t land a single one himself, since Bloodshot proved too much of a distraction. He couldn’t complain about the haul, though.

The two Night Furies stared at the flailing pot hungrily, quickly staring each other down. They were soon growling and snapping at each other, forcing Hiccup to stand before them with palms raised.

‘Come on! No fighting over fish! They aren’t even cooked yet!’

He quickly glanced over at Endre. He gulped nervously at the thought of waking the warrior up, leaping up and screaming, with sharpened axe in hand…

‘Speaking of cooking… I need to get some herbs. But can I leave you two alone?’

He leaned forward expectantly with hands on hips. Toothless nodded earnestly, but Bloodshot glanced away.

‘Bloodshot? You know the fish won’t taste as good without them, right?’

Bloodshot was silent.

‘Is it too much to ask for you to behave yourself for an hour or so? Just look at Duskwing! Do what he’s doing.’

The Blood Fury grunted reluctantly, pacing over to the sleeping pair while trying to find the best spot of sunlight, before curling up on the other side of a rock from the pair.

Hiccup watched him for a few seconds before he nodded to himself. ‘Well, it’s a start. Keep an eye on them, won’t you Toothless?’

Toothless answered by climbing up the tallest tree nearby, and hanging himself so that he could see everyone on the ground.

‘Alright.’ Hiccup waved over his shoulder as he left with his backpack. ‘See you guys in a bit.’

* * *

Toothless soon grew restless after swinging side to side. The other three remained still below, and the Night Fury scanned the edges of the lake for anything of interest. He soon focused on an adjacent sand bank, with enough thick vegetation separating it from the first bank that he could get a little privacy.

He dropped down from his branch silently, advancing upon Endre and Duskwing to examine them. They were both sound asleep, and so he crept around towards Bloodshot, but kept his distance, circling around and being careful not to pass within the Blood Fury’s field of vision should he open his eyes.

The Night Fury slid through the trees and padded the soil under his feet until he could feel sand shifting under his paws. He hopped in place happily and began looking around for a pointy object. To his disappointment, he saw none on the bank, but opted to tear off a smaller branch at the base of the nearest tree.

Toothless sat on the small beach with the branch in his mouth, staring thoughtfully into the water, trying to think of something to draw. He looked up at the sky, and spotted the faint crescent moon in the distance, just above the edge of the canopy. He crooned sadly, but quickly got to work, drawing careful, circular motions into the shifting sand.

He finished with some adjustments, sitting back to examine the four shapes in the sand looking back up at him. One large, with three smaller faces below. He stared at them for a joyful moment before his frills fell back, thrumming faintly as he stared longingly. Eventually, he thought to toss the stick behind him, but as he did so, he noticed two red eyes staring at him from between the trees.

He tilted his head defensively while fanning his wings out in an attempt to hide the scene behind him. However, as Bloodshot emerged with a calculating stare, he gradually lowered his wings.

The dragon initially blocked Bloodshot from the bank, but the Blood Fury’s gaze was not hostile. The dragon looked behind Toothless before glancing at him questioningly. Toothless eventually stepped aside to let him look, glancing around with slight embarrassment as Bloodshot came closer. He sat as Bloodshot looked over the faces slowly, his red eyes glistening. After several long minutes, he slowly and silently turned around to walk the way he came – his tail fin brushing over one of the Night Light’s portraits.

He stopped as Toothless growled, turning his head to look at the dragon quizzically. Toothless was baring his teeth and glaring at his tail. He stared at it himself, slowly lifting it up from the sand. Toothless’ gaze and posture returned to normal, though he retained a suspicious look. Bloodshot grinned slightly and turned around, raising a paw just over the portrait in the sand. Toothless lowered his head and shook it warningly. However, Bloodshot slowly pressed his paw into the portrait, and Toothless growled louder. The Blood Fury raised and lowered his paw repeatedly, and Toothless’ growls became snarls, and quickly boomed into roars. Bloodshot watched him with amusement all the while... shifting to a yelp of alarm when Toothless’ flank and head glowed bright blue, with the air crackling with imbued energy around him.

* * *

Hiccup jumped and inadvertently pulled out a thyme plant out by its roots instead of a smaller branch, as an explosion echoed in the distance behind him. After a moment, he heard Endre’s frantic yelling as well. He could only shrug his shoulders tiredly as he recalled the last time he heard that specific explosion sound.

‘Toothless and Bloodshot. Oooof course.’

* * *

Endre and Hiccup found the pair as soon as they could, with Duskwing keeping watch for anyone in the area while Endre, Hiccup and Toothless splashed cold water over the Blood Fury’s burns. Toothless growled apologetically throughout the process, but Hiccup was silent.

Thankfully, the burns were only surface level and Bloodshot was able to move, albeit with some difficulty. Endre quickly shoved the dragon back towards their original camp away from the bank, keeping watch alongside Duskwing for any hunters that might show up. Bloodshot pressed his body against the grass, twitching frequently while Hiccup glared at him to keep him quiet.

They waited for nearly an hour before Endre waved a hand to them signalling the all clear. Endre approached, but stopped to watch Hiccup. The Viking was scowling and folding his arms, glancing between the two Night Furies for almost a minute.

‘One. Hour. That’s all I asked. And what happens? Bloodshot almost gets blown to bits.’

He sighed heavily while the dragons avoided his gaze.

‘I can guess how that happened. Bloodshot, you did something to intentionally provoke him, didn’t you? There aren’t many things that can set Toothless off like that, and there sure aren’t any hunters around for him to warrant using that display!’

Bloodshot cringed slightly as Toothless relaxed, but soon crooned miserably as Hiccup turned his gaze to him.

‘And you, Toothless. Whatever Bloodshot did, it wasn’t worth that! You shouldn’t be almost blowing up one of the two Night Furies we’ve managed to find alive!’

He let the uncomfortable silence hang for another minute before he turned around. ‘Well, no seasoning for either of you. After all, I can’t leave you two alone. Consider yourselves lucky we’re staying and having dinner here at all!’

‘We are?’ Endre murmured guardedly.

Hiccup shrugged. ‘I’m not in the mood to discuss this right now. We waited for an hour and no one showed up. This is still the best spot to search from, and unless you find evidence that hunters are present I’m not changing my plans.’

He strode past to fetch his cooking equipment and grabbed the pot of fish, hauling it a fair distance away before he started cooking. Toothless and Bloodshot kept their distance from each other but remained in the camp, while Endre – after watching Hiccup with lingering astonishment, fetched Inferno and Luna together for maintenance. Duskwing, meanwhile, kept a close eye on the other dragons while periodically checking on the distant Viking.

* * *

Hiccup cooked what fish they had methodically and plainly. Endre and Duskwing remained together while the others kept their distance from each other, a strange silence pervading throughout the forest. Only the sound of Endre’s whetstone broke it. After Hiccup had his fill of fish, leaving the remaining ones on sticks by their fire, he watched the warrior thoughtfully.

‘You know, we’re going to have to think up some story if anyone comes around asking.’

Endre’s gaze on his axe didn’t waver. ‘How do you mean?’

‘We got lucky, in a way, that an explosion still isn’t something unique to dragons. So if anyone does come asking us, we should think of some cover story so they’ll leave us alone.’

‘Well, do you have any ideas? You sure look like you do.’

Hiccup grinned sheepishly. ‘Well, how about... fishing?’

‘Fishing.’

‘With bombs.’

Endre stopped his sharpening motion for several seconds before he continued without a response... though Hiccup continued to elaborate anyway.

‘I mean, we could be a couple of sappers experimenting with gas or something... which just happens to be really good at killing fish.’

‘Uh huh.’

Hiccup frowned dismally. ‘Well aren’t we enthusiastic! Can you think of a better one, wise guy?’

‘I don’t really care for making up stories. I’d rather we just move on.’

‘To where? Have you seen that map?’ Hiccup protested. ‘It wouldn’t do to get lost.’ He folded his arms. ‘Besides, I’m in charge of navigation here.’

Endre put down his whetstone and exhaled heavily through his beard. ‘I’m going along with this because I asked to join you. But I do _not_ like sitting here. We should get searching as soon as possible.’

Hiccup met his eye. ‘Fine. We’ll go first thing in the morning. And _if_ there’s no sign of hunters when we come back, we can stay here until we’ve fully explored this side of the land. Happy?’

The warrior simply raised a stiff eyebrow.

‘Right. Stupid question.’

Hiccup exhaled and groaned to himself tiredly, dropping the subject as Endre set aside his axe and moved on to Inferno. He watched Duskwing, curled up and dozing peacefully. Bloodshot was sitting on his own charred patch of ground, trying to do the same but frequently rubbing his side into the and generally twitching uncomfortably. It would be a while before the burns and itchiness would wear off.

Toothless stayed at the edge of camp closest to the lake, his tail flicking every now and then, but he otherwise remained still. His eyes were downcast as he watched the surface of the lake, his gaze alternating between it and the moon reflected in it. The Viking watched him sympathetically – and wasn’t sure if he was down because of what happened with Bloodshot, or what happened just before that.

Hiccup got up slowly, wobbling on his leg, with his gaze focused on the Night Fury. ‘I’ll just be with Toothless. We have some things to talk about.’

Endre inclined his head, pausing to watch him go solemnly.

Hiccup examined the dragon closely as he approached. In all the years they had known each other, it was rare that Toothless actually felt miserable or stressed when they were on the ground. The dragon had little to worry about back then, aside from threats from dragons and other human factions every now and then. And yet, now... he had good reason to be worried, and it would not be over for a long time.

‘Toothless? Got a minute bud?’

The dragon flicked a frill in response, raising one wing high enough to let him sit, stroking his flank gently.

‘You know I only said those things back there because I care, right? You and Bloodshot both.’

Toothless hummed softly.

‘There’s a good chance that you’ll all see a lot of each other when you go home. Duskwing I don’t worry about, but Bloodshot... I do hope you two become friends. Night Furies should stick together, don’t you think?’

Toothless moaned lowly in agreement. Hiccup looked up at the moon alongside the dragon.

‘The whole scene was messed up by the time we got there. I... knew you drew them in the sand.’ He smiled wistfully. ‘You miss them.’

Toothless turned his large head to blink at him sadly, slowly closing them as he laid his head closer to Hiccup’s outstretched feet.

They sat together like that for a long time, watching wisps of thin cloud pass by in front of the moon.

‘I miss them, too, you know. But would you know that Zephyr and Nuffink were the first to approve? I was afraid of telling them, knowing I would leave them for a long time, but they understood. I’m sure Moondust and those three understand too.’

Toothless shifted over so part of his head rested on Hiccup’s leg, while letting him look up at him as he talked.

‘Want to hear a story? Nuffink once tried to start a bug collection... Astrid and Zephyr brought it to my attention with Zephyr screaming at a huge centipede she found in her bed. They asked me first, and since I had no idea where it came from, they asked Nuffink next... who quickly denied it. Zephyr then became so obsessed with finding the nest that she started snooping through everyone’s belongings. Eventually she did – hidden in Nuffink’s room in one of the walls. Since those bugs included ones that chewed through wood, he had to let them go.’ Toothless’ eyes brightened as Hiccup smiled to himself. ‘I guess those whelps of yours might get up to similar mischief... Not that you’d be able to tell me what kind.’

Toothless remained silent, but rested his head as comfortably as he could on Hiccup’s lap. Despite the weight, Hiccup felt more comfortable than he’d been in a while; letting himself lean back against Toothless’ warm scales. He didn’t bother getting up or changed before he began to drift off.


	7. Echo

Hiccup slowly opened his eyes as sunlight flickered onto his face. Toothless was still sleeping in the same position, which made his legs feel somewhat stiff. Or what should have been legs. He shifted them both, and something felt… missing.

He gently flicked one of Toothless frills.

‘Wake up, bud. Endre is expecting us to move soon…’ he looked around, ‘especially since it’s quite a way past dawn.’

The Night Fury yawned and smacked his jaw a little as he raised his head. Hiccup quickly retracted his left leg, only to see the metal clamp empty.

‘Okay, _who_ took my leg? I can only think of two.’ He glanced quickly at Toothless. ‘And it can’t be you, right?’

Toothless blinked innocently before nodding.

‘I dunno if this was Endre’s idea to get me up. Otherwise… BLOOOOODSHOOOOT!’

Duskwing and Endre twitched from their sleeping positions, both staring at him for a moment with annoyance before they spotted Hiccup’s clamp.

Endre quickly stood up and looked around. ‘Ugh. I wanted to leave as soon as possible. We do _not_ have time for missing body parts.’

Thankfully, the Blood Fury was still on the other side of camp. He didn’t immediately react to Hiccup’s raised voice, but as he raised his head, Hiccup could tell he was holding something in his mouth.

_Jeez, at least_ try _to hide it._

He fixated on the Blood Fury with a firm glare and folded his arms. After the stunt last night, he was in no mood to go and give the dragon the satisfaction of begging for his leg back.

However, to his surprise, Bloodshot glanced away somewhat guiltily, getting and walking over as everyone’s eyes fell on him. He slowly deposited the saliva-covered metal stump onto the grass in front of him. The Viking stared at it in surprise for a few seconds, watching the dragon suspiciously as he slowly reached forward, grabbed its hook at the top, dangled it for a while to let the saliva drip down, and hastily reattached it. All the while, Bloodshot watched him from a sitting position.

Hiccup dropped his suspicious look as he examined the dragon. ‘Strange that you would steal it just to give it back. What’s the deal?’

Bloodshot recoiled a little as Hiccup looked into his eyes. The Viking slowly smiled at the dragon’s expression.

‘Wait a minute – is this to make up for what you did? So stealing my leg and giving it back is your idea of an apology?’

Bloodshot’s eyes widened a little with realisation, glancing away guiltily again.

Hiccup could only laugh. ‘That’s okay. I still have no idea how you stole it without waking me or Toothless. At least you made some effort.’

Bloodshot glanced at him timidly for a second before snorting again, and turning away, and returning to his spot in the grass.

‘Can we get moving yet?’ Endre said impatiently, already packed his own belongings in the time Hiccup had getting his leg back on. Duskwing sat beside him and gazed at him expectantly.

Hiccup could only groan as his tried to move his good leg, and it barely moved due to its lack of blood flow from being under Toothless’ head. ‘Yeah, yeah, I’ll get right on it…’

* * *

The group took their next route to the southeast. This time around, Bloodshot kept to the ground mostly, but dismissed Toothless with a snort when the Night Fury tried to get him to carry the saddle.

They initially followed a connecting stream to the lake which curved to the east slightly before dipping back south again, forcing them to abandon it after a few hours.

It then became difficult to navigate after that; Endre was against the idea of the dragons marking another rock with fire or rock, though he did use Luna to carve a cross after some convincing. Apart from these flat rocks every now and then, Hiccup couldn’t help but notice how drab and empty the forests and plains felt; on New and Old Berk, what vegetation there was had a lush, healthy air about it all. And it wasn’t hard to find animals of all shapes and sizes there.

Though Daler seemed to be surviving well enough, Hiccup knew that all dragons leaving over the course of ten years would have some consequences. On the positive side, the dragon hunters and trappers would be out of work, and overall human villages, especially wooden ones, would be safer. On the other hand, the ecosystem itself would change a lot if the apex predators – and even some lower ones – all suddenly left. It would take a long time to adjust and recover from this change, and if the dragons did return like he hoped they would, it would all happen again.

He was caught up in his own thoughts when he nearly tripped over Toothless’ tail and narrowly avoided tearing the map he was holding. He quickly realised they had stopped at the edge of a sharp incline ahead, but when neither of them made a move to go around or down, he stepped to their side to look down upon the scene.

He could only shrug slightly. ‘A destroyed campfire. Let’s keep going…’ His eyes brightened as he looked at his map again. ‘Ah! Perfect – another landmark we can use.’

Endre gave a long, annoyed grunt as he faced him. ‘Humans were here. Don’t you get it?’

Hiccup sighed. ‘You take one look at it, and think hunters are after us.’

‘It’s a real possibility.’

Hiccup glanced at the camp again. ‘Fine. We’ll check it out first, and leave the dragons here.’ He folded up his map and put it away, exchanging a quick glance with Toothless. ‘We’ll be right back, bud. Keep an eye on the others… especially Bloodshot.’

The Night Fury glanced at Bloodshot out of the corner of his eye, who immediately glared at them both. Toothless answered with an amused growl, and Hiccup patted him on the shoulder before the dragons retreated into the trees. After that, he followed Endre on a dirt path down to the site.

There was only a scattered ring of stones and a few hewn stumps surrounding it. Apart from that, the dirt surface was empty. No signs of any weapons or battles.

Hiccup placed his hands on his hips as he looked around. ‘Well, false alarm. It was probably just a campsite for travellers.’

‘One look and you dismiss it as a false alarm.’

Hiccup stared at the warrior, who was crouching towards the fire for a closer look. ‘There’s _nothing_ here!’

‘As there shouldn’t be. Competent dragon hunters wouldn’t leave their weapons behind. And they would also be content to disguise their campsite as a campsite “for travellers”.’

Hiccup scoffed in disbelief. ‘I’m not going to start seeing “lack of evidence” as evidence. We’re sticking to the plan.’

Endre was silent for a moment as he sifted through the fireplace’s ashes.

‘There are recently charred bits of meat left in here…’

‘I have a _fishbone_ strapped to my backpack!’

The warrior stood with a huff. ‘Why would travellers be here? The land has nothing to see.’

‘Why would dragon hunters be here, then? They don’t have the same information I do.’ Hiccup folded his arms firmly. ‘And Dharcrest is not exactly kind to those kinds of people.’

They stood facing each other in silence for a few seconds.

‘So, now what?’ Hiccup said tersely. ‘I think we should keep going. If there any Night Furies in this area, they need our help, _especially_ if there really are hunters around.’

Endre shook his head slowly. ‘And I think you should take the two you’re already found and fly to where humans can’t follow.’ He sighed. ‘If we can’t decide what to do next… Then we’ll leave it up to Toothless. This whole mission is for him, isn’t it?’

Hiccup blinked in surprise before turning away. ‘Technically, yes, but… It’s also for me, too.’

The warrior examined the Viking curiously, before walking past him and back the way they came.

The dragons were waiting for them, barely going past the line of trees they had entered in. They all regarded the humans questioningly – Endre and Hiccup returning it to Toothless.

‘Well, bud, we finally managed to agree on something.’

Toothless’ head swivelled as Endre cut in. ‘Regarding the potential hunters, he means.’

His head went back as Hiccup continued. ‘Since humans did come through here recently–’

‘–since lack of evidence is actually worse than evidence–’

‘–if we take his advice, and head north as soon as possible…’

‘…it would be safer. But that would mean we’d leave any potential Night Furies here behind.’

‘Conversely, as per my _original_ plan, we keep going and only leave if we find hard evidence of actual dragon hunters being in the area.’

‘After some deliberation–‘

‘–we agreed to let you decide.’

Bloodshot looked ready to fall over. Toothless, meanwhile, took in the words, twisting his neck with a painful groan from the motions.

‘So what’ll it be, bud? Keep going this way, or start going north?’

Toothless looked between them miserably, and Hiccup waited patiently until Toothless started looking all directions cluelessly.

‘Oh.’ He pointed toward his right. ‘North would be that way.’

Toothless quickly lowered his head in embarrassment, but walked past the two humans in the direction they were heading. After glancing back and waiting for the rest to follow, Endre folded his arms.

‘I think you’re making a mistake, Toothless. But it is up to you, and I’ll go along with it.’

The dragon nodded toward him appreciatively as he waited for the warrior to take the lead again. Hiccup couldn’t help but glance between the two of them with renewed curiosity.

_I really have to ask him about that…_

* * *

They continued to search for signs of any dragons while noting anything suspicious along the way. And unfortunately, they found almost no sign of dragons, apart from lingering scents their dragons picked up and a tooth or scale every now and then. Endre, conversely spotted many signs of recent human activity, mainly cleanly hacked branches normally blocking dirt trails and the occasional tiny scrap of leather. Despite this, Toothless pushed them to keep going, as the scent seemingly was growing stronger as he stopped to sniff more and more.

The group diverted quite a few times due to this, but Toothless soon lost the scent before they could go any further. After the first few times, Bloodshot tracked scents in other directions as they moved, which thankfully allowed them to move faster, though they still found no dragons.

They had to settle for the night in a closed, forested valley, where the trees all slanted unnaturally towards a divot in the ground. The ground gradually inclined as they came closer, finding a large area where there were only smaller trees. While the edges of the impact area were smoothed out over the years, it was clear something large had crashed here a long time ago. Hiccup guessed it was some large dragon almost as big as the Red Death, but regardless, there were no signs of such a dragon now.

Since the area provided some decent cover to the surrounding area, they made their camp in the lowest point. Unfortunately, they did not have time to go hunting due to the late hour, and there were no lakes or streams nearby for fish. Instead, they settled for some of their bread, Hiccup breaking one in half and offering it to Bloodshot first. The dragon gulped it in one mouthful and stared at him expectantly, but Hiccup shook his head.

‘Sorry, _pal_. They’re called “rations” for a reason.’

Bloodshot stared at him for a few seconds before growling irritably.

‘Hey, you’re welcome to get up off your butt and hunt for yourself. It’s not like I’ve always fed you, right?’

The Blood Fury groaned before reluctantly turning around to the south and unfurling his wings.

‘Oh, and don’t go too far. Remember that there could actually be hunters about.’

Bloodshot snorted indignantly before he climbed the nearest tree.

Meanwhile, Endre had relieved Toothless of the saddle and all three sat around the fire heavily, pent up tension throughout a whole day of searching quickly unwinding. Toothless and Duskwing yawned and curled up as they were, while Endre leaned back against the most vertical section of soil he could find.

Hiccup suddenly swayed a little, feeling rather tired himself. He quickly folded his map up and put it back in his dragonhide bag, sitting next to Endre as the vertical soil wall felt very comfortable considering how wobbly his legs were.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the low breathes and light snores of the nearby dragons. The large warrior was silent, signalling that despite how tired he looked, he was still awake. He glanced out of the corner of his eye towards Hiccup repeatedly as the minutes ticked by.

‘Ugh… I know you have things to ask, and I can’t sleep until you get it over with.’

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably as he tried to conjure the right words.

‘So, about the whole “murderer” thing…’

Endre shook his head swiftly. ‘No.’

Hiccup sighed, expecting that response. ‘Fine. The other thing I wanted to ask… You remember when we first met, outside of the village?’

The warrior nodded. ‘Looking back, I didn’t give the best first impression.’

Hiccup nodded slowly. ‘Yeah… anyway, we only reached this point because Toothless decided to reveal himself to you. And it was an incredibly risky thing to do – I’m sure you understand why.’

Endre nodded again. ‘I could have been a hunter for all you knew.’

‘Yes, well… That always puzzled me. Toothless doesn’t really like strangers until I introduce him. I most certainly did _not_ trust you, but for some reason he did. No offense, but just from appearance you look incredibly suspicious, especially to a dragon whose species is nearly extinct.’

Endre twitched his beard. ‘Your point being?’

‘Why would Toothless trust you just from looking at you? I trust you now, too, but I can’t shake the feeling you two might know each other from somewhere.’

The warrior stared at the ground hard with an intense frown. He gradually shook his head after a minute.

‘No. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen him. Or any Night Fury, for that matter. I saw quite a few dragons many years ago, but now…’

He sighed, before leaning back and looking up to the sky sadly.

Hiccup tried to change the subject. ‘You know, I noticed you haven’t actually had any alcohol since you joined up with me. Yet you seemed like a full-on alcoholic when I first saw you in that tavern.’

The warrior took a moment to answer. ‘Do you know _why_ I took to drinking in the first place?’

‘No, because you didn’t want to tell me,’ Hiccup said with a frown.

Endre grunted stiffly. ‘Yes, well… It was because of the dragons disappearing. Over just a few years, dragons went from a somewhat uncommon occurrence to near myth. I thought… I thought that they really were going extinct. The reaction… or rather _lack_ of reaction by so many villages made me so angry that it made the drinking far worse. But I quickly realised that causing trouble and getting kicked out of villages was not the best way to go about things, especially if there really were any dragons left.’

Hiccup frowned sympathetically as he listened.

‘In Daler, I came to believe that trying to help the dragons was pointless. I had no idea if Duskwing was still alive, but… now I know better. I’m glad the dragons aren’t truly gone. Though,’ he scratched his beard, ‘I would prefer them to stay away from humans forever, so long as it guarantees their safety.’

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully as he hugged his legs to his chest. ‘I’m… sorry. I didn’t realise how it would affect other parts of the world if all the dragons suddenly hid away.’

Endre slowly shook his head. ‘I don’t think all dragons disappeared at the same time. Wouldn’t Toothless have gone out on his own to find all the others, if he is the Alpha?’

‘Well… yes. I can’t think of a better explanation, and I can’t exactly ask him about the details.’

The two fell silent again, but Hiccup could feel the warrior’s curious eyes on him now.

‘What?’ He said tiredly.

‘I… Well, I’m curious to know how you and Toothless met.’

Hiccup gulped. ‘Uh… well, did you notice something about his tail fin? Compared to Duskwing and Bloodshot?’

The warrior blinked in surprise before stroking his beard. ‘Now that you mention it… it doesn’t reflect sunlight the same way on both sides.’

‘That would be because half of it is artificial. I made it for him.’ He grimaced nervously and looked away. ‘It’s because of me he lost half of it in the first place.’

As he expected, the warrior regarding him suspiciously. ‘And why would you do that?’

‘Well, it’s a long story…’

‘We got time.’ Endre said firmly. ‘We should at least wait for Bloodshot to get back, after all.’

Hiccup reluctantly began to recount about his life on Berk, the night he shot down Toothless… all the way up to the defeat of the Red Death. Though slight panic rose in him as visible rage gripped the warrior’s eyes.

‘Wait… you killed a dragon?!’

Hiccup shifted his body away from the warrior instinctively. ‘Well, technically, _I_ didn’t… Toothless took the finishing shot.’

‘But did you direct him to do that?’

‘I…’

‘You did.’

As Hiccup met his eyes, he was met with an angry, but worse, disappointed scowl. He hadn’t seen a look like that in a long, long time… and it shook him to his bones. It took him a good few seconds to be able to speak.

‘We had no choice, okay? It was killing the other dragons! There’s no way Berk and the dragons would have made peace with each other with that thing breathing down their necks.’

‘Did you even consider another way? How did you know there was no choice? Did you try to communicate with it at all?’

‘That would have been suicide!’

‘So you didn’t.’

Hiccup threw his hands up in frustration. ‘What did you expect us to do about it? There’s no way we could have chased it off! It was extremely persistent when Toothless and the other dragon distracted it from the others.’

Endre spoke quietly. ‘I expected you to care.’ Hiccup froze. ‘At least a little bit – even if its death was necessary... but it’s clear from the way you talked that you didn’t. I thought that you cared about all dragons, regardless of how dangerous they were. I... I suppose I overestimated you.’

The warrior sounded so defeated that it would have been better if he shouted. Instead, Endre shifted away from him as far as he could go with the wall still behind him, sitting facing away from the Viking. Hiccup could only stare at the ground shamefully, unable to say anything, and could only hug his legs tighter around him as he waited for Bloodshot to return.

* * *

The silence weighed upon the camp for what felt like hours. It was a relief when he heard the distinctive heavy footsteps combined with branches cracking under heavy weight.

Bloodshot made Hiccup jump as he stared down at the two humans from above. He narrowed his eyes curiously as he glanced between the two humans sitting unnaturally far away from each other and also avoiding eye contact.

‘Hey, Bloodshot… good to see you, pal…’

Bloodshot’s frills dropped with a “seriously?” look. He then leapt down and turned around to face the Viking – to his disappointment the dragon hadn’t found any food, it seemed. Duskwing and Toothless opened their eyes as they watched the Blood Fury drearily.

‘Nothing, huh? Well, I already gave you bread, so don’t ask–’

Bloodshot shook his head quickly, slowly opening his mouth and letting out a small clump of dirt. Hiccup instinctively scrounged his mouth in disgust, but Bloodshot poked his nose at the clump. The Viking shifted over for a closer look, and with the help of the fire, he saw a distinct circular shape nestled amongst the dirt. He carefully fished it out, shaking it a little and letting the saliva drip off.

Toothless and Duskwing moved for a closer look as well, Bloodshot giving Toothless an annoyed glare as he was shoved over slightly.

Hiccup studied the scale closely – it resembled a Night Fury scale, but it seemed very old and brittle, it dark sheen very dull and almost greying around the edges. He had to bat Toothless away gently as the Night Fury came in a little too close for a sniff.

‘A scale. Did you find it close by, Bloodshot?’

Bloodshot nodded stoically, turning and leaping back up to where he came from, looking down at them all expectantly.

‘What…’ Endre murmured, ‘is he doing?’

‘I… think he wants us to follow him.’

The warrior grunted tiredly. ‘Now? Why not in the morning?’

Bloodshot narrowed his eyes at the warrior for a moment.

‘I dunno… it’s not like Bloodshot to take the lead on anything. I think we should follow him if it’s close by – after all, it could be gone by tomorrow.’

Endre sighed and got up reluctantly. ‘Fine. You’ll have to use Inferno if we’re going to see anything.’

Bloodshot and Toothless went ahead, sniffing the ground and trees frequently, and given their frills were up and with the energy with which they pursued the trail, Hiccup hoped they were getting close, and soon. They would also need them to clear a distinct path so they could go back the way they came. Endre and Duskwing stuck close behind him as he followed the two larger Night Furies.

They went at a considerable pace for almost half an hour before the dragons finally stopped. They were sniffing in different directions, and Toothless glanced back at Hiccup and Bloodshot questioningly.

‘I guess we should split up?’ He glanced over at Bloodshot. ‘Does it only go in two directions?’

Bloodshot and Toothless sniffed again, both giving low snarls as they sniffed forward the way they were heading. Duskwing walked up and sniffed a little, glancing up at Hiccup earnestly.

‘I think we can.’ Hiccup looked around at the group. ‘Toothless, I can trust you to go on your own. Endre…’ he watched the warrior hesitantly, ‘you’ll have to stay with me, or you can’t see. We should both go with Duskwing.’ He then looked at the other two dragons. ‘You guys can locate each other with echolocation, right? Just keep it down, though. We’ll meet back up at the camp if we don’t find anything. Otherwise, we’ll have to come find you in the morning.’

Toothless and Bloodshot quickly disappeared from their sight. Endre silently followed the Viking and Duskwing forward, the air still tense between them. Duskwing couldn’t help but take notice, glancing between them every now and then, but quickly focused on following the scent forward. Hiccup felt a pang of concern for the two adult dragons, but knew they could take care of themselves better than Duskwing could.

As Duskwing pushed his way through the thick vegetation, with some assistance from Luna and Endre, Hiccup soon realised he smelt something too, over the scent of trees and dirt. The scent seemed familiar, but it didn’t exactly smell like a Night Fury. Duskwing whined miserably and slowed down, though the unknown smell persisted.

‘What’s wrong? Lost the trail?’

Duskwing blinked slowly and looked up with wide, sad amber eyes. Dread crept into his stomach as he frowned worriedly.

‘I don’t understand… is it here?’

The small Fury reluctantly pushed forward, parting the vegetation ahead and stopped a small patch of flat soil. And sitting on it…

…was a Night Fury skeleton.

Hiccup covered his mouth. _No… we’re too late…_

Duskwing’s frills drooped as he stepped a little closer. Endre, on the other hand remained where he was.

‘We need to leave.’

It took Hiccup a moment to compose himself. ‘Yes… Yes, you’re right. Duskwing–‘

He could only watch as the Night Fury let out small sound waves to his left and right.

‘No! I… they don’t need to see this!’ He stepped forward and knelt in front of the dragon. ‘Let’s just go back!’

Unfortunately, the dragon sat and stayed put. Endre stepped closer and attempted to pull him by his front leg, but Duskwing hissed so sharply he flinched and backed off.

Bloodshot’s red eyes emerged from the trees on their left only a few minutes later. His eyes widened in shock, rapidly shifting to anger as he stared at the skeleton, standing stiffly beside the smaller Fury.

Hiccup looked around frantically to their right and listened, stepping through the vegetation towards the rustling leaves that soon approached. Toothless stopped just short of running him over, growling and raising his head curiously.

‘Toothless! Hi bud, nothing to see here. Duskwing accidentally send a signal to you. So…’ He faked a smile, ‘let’s just go back to camp… please?’

Toothless tilted his head suspiciously, focusing back on Duskwing’s direction and went around him. Hiccup’s heart sank as he followed.

Toothless’ frills immediately fell as he saw the skeleton, moaning sadly as he crept closer. He nosed closer to the dragon’s skull, gently nudging the cold, pale surface. He soon lowered his head and closed his eyes, crooning mournfully.

Duskwing stepped forward to stand beside him, inclining his head in a similar fashion. Then in harmony, the two dragons raised their heads at the sky and howled in anguish. Endre took one step forward, but it was too late… and from the look in his eyes, neither he nor Hiccup had the heart to stop them. Tears welled in Hiccup’s eyes as he listened, clutching his tightening chest and looking away. Bloodshot, meanwhile, stared at the corpse, trembling and snarling quietly.

It took nearly a minute for them to stop. Endre stepped forward again as soon as they did, but the dragons stepped back together and started digging through the dirt frantically.

‘What…’ Endre murmured, ‘are they doing _now?_ ’

Hiccup opened his eyes to watch them sadly. ‘I think… they’re burying it.’

Endre watched for a few seconds before looking down and twisting his axe to reflect the moonlight. He then stepped around next to Duskwing and used the axe to shovel dirt out at the same time. Bloodshot pulled himself forward to help, but his burning gaze did not abate. Hiccup could only hold Inferno high up over his head so they could see what they were doing.

Once the hole was wide and deep enough, Endre stepped back and let the dragons shift the entire skeleton over at once, gently letting the bones slide down in a similar outstretched position. Toothless and Bloodshot shovelled the dirt back in, while Duskwing used his tail to smooth the ground over the corpse, almost to the point where there was no sign the skeleton had even been there.

‘If that’s done…’ Endre said quietly, ‘we need to move. _Now._ ’

Toothless and Duskwing, while somewhat despondent, both followed the warrior as he waved them over frantically. However, Bloodshot remained standing over the mound.

Hiccup croaked a little as he called out. ‘Bloodshot... I’m sorry, but we have to go. There’s nothing else we can do.’

Bloodshot was silent, his snarls ceasing.

‘Bloodshot?’

They all flinched as the Blood Fury clenched his jaw and roared at the sky. So much fury and anger was unleashed that they had to cover their ears. Once the dragon lowered his head, his roar continued to echo throughout the forest. He then turned around and pushed past the dragons, not bothering to wait for them, in the camp’s direction.

Endre and Hiccup frantically followed behind back to the path they made and hurried back to the impacted landscape with their belongings. Thankfully, no one was there, but Endre showed little signs of stopping once they arrived.

Hiccup leaned forward and panted for several seconds, while Endre wasted no time in gathering their belongings. He also got their saddle and after making sure all their belongings was secure in it, brought it over to Toothless and strapped it on. The dragon just stood there, not reacting at all.

‘Toothless?’

The dragon slowly closed and opened his frills in response as Hiccup walked over worriedly, slowly touching the side of his head. The dragon slowly turned to look at him, eyes glistening as if he was about to cry.

Hiccup fought back tears of his own; closing his eyes lowered his forehead onto Toothless’.

‘I’m sorry, bud. I’m sorry we didn’t come sooner.’

Toothless hummed quietly as they stayed in that position for a minute. Hiccup slowly pulled away and wiped his eyes with his free hand, before looking at the other two dragons who had been watching.

‘I’m sorry we couldn’t find you earlier, too. None of you deserve this.’

Bloodshot’s eyes were dangerously close to slits as he stared back, but Duskwing just lowered his head.

Endre cleared his throat impatiently. ‘Are we done? We have to keep moving.’

Hiccup frowned slightly. ‘Are we going to sleep at all tonight?’

‘No.’

At the Viking’s surprised stare, the warrior continued. ‘We’re going back to the lake. If we find no one on the way… _then_ we can stop and rest. It’s practically guaranteed that someone heard them… and there’s no way it could be mistaken for anything but a dragon’s cry. Bloodshot only made it worse. They’re in danger until they can lay low for a while.’

‘And us?’ Hiccup asked as Endre threw his backpack and catching it.

‘We’re the distractions.’ Endre eyed the dragons firmly. ‘If any of you hear humans approaching, get away from us as soon as you can. If they find out about you, all of this will be for nothing.’ He glanced at Hiccup again. ‘Do you have some way to cover your face?’

Hiccup paused for a moment and nodded. ‘I have my helmet, though it makes it pretty stuffy with the beard and all.’

Endre frowned attentively. ‘Then keep it close at hand, in case we’re discovered. It won’t matter if they see me, but you… you’re not at all known around these parts.’

‘You’re not going to kill them if we see them?’

‘Not if it compromises your mission. But if I get a chance otherwise…’

Hiccup quickly shook his head. ‘Let’s just go. It’s a long way back… even more so in the dark. And if Inferno runs out of fuel, we have to stop.’

Endre grunted stiffly before the group set off into the night.


	8. Hunters

The dragons more or less followed Inferno’s light, lacking any motivation of their own to sniff out or find signs of any other dragons. After passing and avoiding the previously abandoned camp along the way, Hiccup had them proceed directly west until they could find the stream, which would lead north back up to the lake.

Hiccup’s eyes and legs ached more and more as he went, but he spurred himself on knowing that the dragons could be in danger. Endre showed no signs of weariness, but Hiccup guessed he was as tired as the rest of the group.

Inferno’s glow using Night Fury saliva was less effective at generating light, but could last for hours. However, there was no sign of the sun rising by the time the glow started to fade. They slowed down to allow Hiccup an attempt at reignition, and it briefly flashed brighter before dying down again.

‘Toothless, I’m gonna need your help here, bud…’

He looked around worriedly when there was only silence. Endre grunted to signal he was still there, but they didn’t see any bright eyes in the dark.

‘Toothless?’

‘Quiet!’

Endre was facing to their right, with orange light gradually filtering through the trees from a distance. The two stood still, hoping whoever it was would pass them by, but the light drew closer and closer. Endre leaned over and whispered.

‘Let’s pretend to be sleeping; it’ll make it easier to get rid of them.’

Hiccup glanced around for the nearest tree shape and sat against it. Endre swiftly followed suit and sat at an angle, the tree’s trunk being thick enough to support them. Hiccup also made an effort to hide his metal leg, taking off his backpack and letting it sit over the metal stump.

‘Try not to kill them,’ Hiccup whispered back, ‘since we don’t know if they’re dragon hunters yet. Actually, just try not to kill them, period.’

Endre stifled a scoff and fell silent, the approaching party’s rough voices gradually becoming audible as they drew closer.

‘–I swear I heard something over here. Footsteps.’

‘So what? Could have been any animal bigger than a weasel. We’ve been searching for dragons for years, and it’s never one where we want it to be…’

‘Quiet.’ The voice was female, if still rough and somewhat raspy. ‘We’re here; we might as well check it out. We heard reports of an unusually big dragon, after all. If it’s what I hope it is... well, let’s just say we can’t afford to overlook anything.’

‘Fine. But I’m heading back the moment it’s over.’

Hiccup frowned beneath his helmet. _Do they have a base nearby? If they do, that just made our job a whole lot harder…_

He shivered slightly, feeling very exposed and vulnerable despite his enclosed position. _Toothless… make sure you stay away._

They didn’t risk moving to look at their encroachers, but judging from the light clinking from their footsteps, they were likely wearing leather outfits similar to theirs. Their boots thumped with metal _clanks_ as they moved ever closer.

One of them stopped to look around just a few feet away to their left. He looked around up ahead, shrugging. Just when it looked like he was leaving, he sniffed and quickly frowned in disgust.

‘Ugh! Is that… mead? Smells like it was abandoned for years…’

The female voice spoke again from behind him. ‘Someone’s here. Search the area.’

It only took a few steps for the first man to draw his eyes to the two shapes slumped against the tree under the light of his torch.

‘Here! Found them!’

Endre shifted drearily and squinted up at the torch. ‘Ugh… Can’t you see we’re trying to sleep here? Get lost.’

Hiccup kept still and his head bowed, trying to pass himself off as in deep slumber.

The female voice spoke again. ‘Who are they?’

‘Travellers, from the looks of things. But the big guy…’

Hiccup could feel several pairs of eyes upon them, spotting a couple to his left watching him and Endre wearily, hands on their weapons. He heard whispering over on Endre’s side, and he saw the first man hunched towards a slightly taller female. Something about that woman seemed familiar though, but she was mostly obscured due to his helmet.

‘Criminal, huh? Well it makes little difference to us, so long as he stays out of our way.’

The tall woman walked closer to stand in front of Endre, a wooden staff clasped in her left hand. Hiccup had to stifle his gasp as he saw her face.

Griseld, the former warlord, was significantly more dishevelled since the last time they met. Her greying brown hair was exposed and draped messily around her head, and she still wore a sleeveless dress covered with rusted chainmail and leather boots. Her slender frame was somewhat hidden by a thick fur cape.

She frowned with a cold, detached gaze while keeping her head raised haughtily.

‘We’re not exactly the legal kind ourselves. If you pretend you didn’t see us, we’ll pretend we didn’t see you.’

Endre grunted as he squinted away from the torch light. ‘Works fer me. Now if you can let me get back to my nap…’

Griseld turned to glance at Hiccup suspiciously. ‘Who’s your friend? I didn’t realise you travelled with anyone.’

Endre glanced at the Viking at his side callously. ‘Just a mercenary I hired. It becomes difficult to move around with bounty hunters on my tail all the time.’

Hiccup fought the urge to run as Griseld leaned closer to him. ‘What’s that under the backpack?’

He looked back up at her, but couldn’t think of a good reason, as well as wanting to disguise his voice. In the end, he could only stare back silently.

‘Not much of a talker, huh?’

She lowered her staff and pushed the backpack aside before Hiccup could react. She stared at his metal leg blankly for several seconds, and Hiccup could only sit and watch.

To his surprise, she turned and away and walked back to stand next to her men. _Did she not recognise me?_

His heart skipped a beat.

‘Get them.’

He and Endre leapt up with weapons drawn as the trappers around them drew their own, including a sword, axe, club and net. Griseld, likewise, brandished her staff defensively, but remained just behind the men surrounding them.

‘Wait a minute… what happened to letting bygones be bygones?’ Hiccup said hopefully.

Griseld ground her teeth as her temper flared. ‘You dare say such a thing? It’s all because of you that we’re in this position. No more words.’

After she spoke, the men around them snarled with similar anger, directing it at Hiccup especially. Three at once charged Hiccup’s position, the first swinging his axe overhead. Hiccup duck and rolled left, leading his attacker to lodge his axe firmly in the tree trunk. He blocked the second sword user but was forced backwards out of his crouching position.

Meanwhile, Endre intercepted the club user, swiftly cleaving the club in two and punching him in the face, blocking Griseld as she swung her staff at his feet. He then grabbed her staff with his left hand, freeing Luna and swinging it down at Hiccup’s third attacker’s metal boot, tripping him and sending him crashing head first into the tree.

While Hiccup freed his sword and started swinging at his opponent, Endre swung Luna back up, bisecting Griseld’s staff and sending her sprawling backwards. He swung back down at her exposed leg, drawing blood and dropping her to the ground. He turned his attention to the two trappers by the tree, grabbing the axe-wielder from behind and shoving him into the tree beside his axe, clutching the back of his head by the hair and smashing his face into the wooden trunk. Endre then pulled the dazed soldier back, delivering another blow to the side of his head, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

The warrior then kicked Hiccup’s final attacker, who was still slumped on the ground, in the stomach, causing him to let out a winded gasp and curl up to his side. Hiccup watched with a slight cringe as Endre picked him up and put his massive arm around the soldier’s neck and tightening his grip, dropping him roughly after the soldier passed out.

Hiccup’s opponent quickly glanced out of the corner of his eye, widening them in alarm. He quickly flung off Inferno from his sword and turned around, but Hiccup launched himself forward and managed to grab him by the foot, dropping him to the ground. Endre was upon them in seconds, clasping the hunter’s arm so tightly he screamed and dropped his sword, Endre then kneeing him in the stomach and punching him into the ground.

Hiccup panted heavily as he looked around at the unconscious bodies around them. They were alive, but there was quite a bit of blood on the ground, especially around the tree, still visible despite the low light cast by the trappers’ dropped torches.

‘Didn’t go easy on them, did you?’

Endre dragged each of the soldiers towards the tree. ‘You said not to kill them, not to go easy on them.’

Hiccup couldn’t help but study them sympathetically. The trapper who had his head shoved into the tree had it the worst; large bruises over his face and his temple still bleeding a little. ‘They might die anyway.’

‘So? Why should we care?’

Hiccup frowned and grunted with annoyance. ‘Show a little sympathy, will you?’

‘As far as I’m concerned, you should have let me kill them.’

Hiccup shook his head firmly as he looked around. ‘We are _not_ having this discussion right now.’ He spotted the net on one of the trappers. ‘Got any rope?’

Endre shook his head, but they found a coil within the net-trapper’s large chest pockets. They gathered the unconscious trappers into the net, tying the rope and hanging them all in a heap in the air from one of the tree’s branches.

Hiccup frowned to himself. ‘I feel like we’re forgetting something.’

Endre raised his brow in alarm as he grabbed the only torch in the dirt and looked around. ‘Where’s that woman?!’

They both sprinted as fast as they could, in the last direction they saw her, hampered by Hiccup’s leg, and it wasn’t long before they met large green eyes rushing towards them.

‘Whoa, bud! No tackling! At least not now.’

The Night growled happily but stared at Hiccup with concern, sniffing over his body.

‘I’m okay, bud.’ He rubbed the dragon’s snout with a smile. ‘But where are the others? We have to make sure they’re safe.’

Toothless grunted affirmatively, letting Hiccup get onto the saddle before turning around and galloping into the forest.

* * *

Griseld limped through the forest, having picked up a torch before fleeing. She couldn’t help muttering under her breath as she pushed through the vegetation.

‘Why him… of all the…’

When she finally stopped to catch her breath, she raised her torch and looked around and up at the sky.

‘Hello?! Ralov! Anyone?! I need help here!’

There was no answer, and she realised she was nowhere near her camp. The silence pervaded for several seconds, until a low growl emanated from behind her.

She turned around and immediately backpedalled as a pair of red eyes emerged from the shadows. Her heart raced as the dragon’s full dark silhouette was revealed with her torchlight. However, after watching the creature for a few seconds, she couldn’t help but smile greedily.

_Another Night Fury… at last…_

Her smile quickly disappeared as Bloodshot launched a red plasma blast at her head. She ducked just in time, only for him to shoot again. She leapt off the ground and scrambled frantically to hide behind the nearest tree. Stifling her own breathing, she tried to listen for footsteps in the distance, but the forest was silent. After waiting for another minute, she carefully peeked around her left side to where the dragon had just been, frowning as she saw nothing there.

Then a loud snarl burst from her right, and she screamed as Bloodshot tackled her and pinned her to the ground, his claws digging into her outfit. He stared at her with bloodthirsty feral eyes, opening his mouth again and a red glow rising in his throat. A sharp snarl from behind them caused Bloodshot to close his mouth and narrow his eyes at the approaching party.

Toothless stared him down defiantly, while Hiccup jumped off and raised his hands.

‘Easy, Bloodshot. You don’t need to kill her… she’s… well, not exactly a dragon hunter.’

Endre quickly caught up to them, and after a second of panting, he studied Bloodshot curiously, walking closer to the dragon without breaking his stride and studying the pinned trapper.

‘Looks like one to me, even if she’s a woman.’ He looked up at Bloodshot. ‘Don’t kill her – _yet_. We need to know if there are others around.’

Hiccup frowned as Bloodshot relaxed a little, stepping off of Griseld just long enough for Endre to grab her arms roughly. He tied her up with some rope from the other trappers, pushing her against the nearest tree with her arms behind her back. He got up close and towered over her, scowling darkly.

‘So… are there other trappers like you? A camp?’

Griseld shifted against her bonds angrily. ‘Is this how you treat a lady? Trying to chop off my leg and tying me up?’

Endre scoffed with amusement. ‘Are you a dragon trapper?’

She looked into his dark eyes for a second and turned away. ‘Isn’t it obvious?’

‘Then you being a woman is of no consequence to me. Dragon trappers... hunters... are all scum.’

‘That’s rich coming from–’

Endre cut her off by brandishing Luna right next to her throat. ‘Talk to me, or the axe. Your choice.’

Griseld paled a little before she glared at him. She was silent, however, until she saw Hiccup take off his helmet and approach, scowling at him with deep-seated disdain.

‘You. This is all your fault.’

Hiccup furrowed his brow. ‘Griseld… After all these years, you’re still a dragon trapper? Even though there’s no dragons left to trap?’

‘And whose fault is that?’

He shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter. Besides, why do you think it’s _my_ fault? The dragons could have left on their own, since you guys spent so long hunting them. If you ask me, it’s no wonder they left.’

Griseld smiled darkly as she glanced over at Bloodshot. ‘Not all of them, it seems…’

Endre turned his head slightly to give Hiccup a hard stare. ‘I take it you two know each other?’’

‘Not exactly how I would describe our relationship…’

The warrior continued to stare at him, and the Viking sighed. ‘She was one of the warlords of the dragon trappers… that we Berkians had to contend with.’ He refocused. ‘Speaking of, where are your friends, Griseld? Ragnar? Khan?’

The grey-haired trapper looked up at him with disgust. ‘They moved on. I don’t know where they are, but it’s been years since I’ve seen them.’

‘Then why didn’t you? Dragon trapping is no longer profitable.’

Griseld trembled angrily before she managed to answer. ‘Oh, that’s easy for you to say, isn’t it? But for a lot of us trappers, dragons were our entire life. Finding them and hiring our army out was the only thing we knew how to do. And lo and behold, ten years ago, what dragons we had left after you torched our fleet became wild and uncontrollable. Constantly trying to escape their cages, even rolling around and crushing our handlers. Eventually, they managed to escape and fly off.’ She scowled darkly. ‘I don’t know what you or your infernal Night Fury did, but it’s because of you two that we’ve lost our livelihoods. It’s all we can do to even maintain weapons and feed ourselves… You made short work of my men. Now I’ve lost them too.’

Hiccup shook his head slowly. ‘They’re still alive, Griseld.’

Endre snorted coldly. ‘Not for long.’

‘What?!’ Hiccup regarded the warrior angrily. ‘What are you talking about? You’re not seriously going to kill them in the state they’re in?’

‘They know who you are.’ Endre glanced at Hiccup’s leg. ‘This… Griseld knows who you are. And if you’re associated with Toothless the way they think you are, they all know he’s here with you. That means they are a threat. And the only way to ensure the safety of the dragons is to kill them.’

‘That’s not true!’ Hiccup protested, walking up closer in an attempt to stand between them. ‘They’re trappers – not hunters!’ He wavered towards the end as the Dragon Hunter’s insignia flashed in his head.

‘So what?’ Endre retorted. ‘If they capture the Night Furies, they’re effectively extinct anyway. Do you really think they would care about the future of their species? Not to mention it makes them a prime target for someone to eventually kill them for a trophy. Would probably set them up for life now.’

Hiccup took a moment to process this. ‘We… could tie them up like we already did.’

‘And leave them to starve to death? Or worse, for their friends to find them?’

Hiccup frowned, but was silent for a few seconds.

‘I… I don’t want humans to remember dragons by leaving a pile of bodies in their wake.’

‘At this rate, memories will be all that’s left of them.’

Hiccup gripped his head miserably. ‘There has to be some other way!’

Toothless stepped forward as well, growling gently. Endre glanced at the dragon for a moment, gradually lowering his axe as his gaze softened.

‘If you have one… hurry it up. The longer we stay, the more likely other hunters will come.’

Hiccup glanced between the warrior and Bloodshot, who was still glaring at Griseld murderously. He shared a glance with Toothless, going over to lean against the Night Fury, watching her with a pleading gaze.

‘Griseld… please. If you tell us where your camp is, we might be able to let you go.’

‘What, you think I’m afraid?’ Griseld answered morosely. ‘The last ten years have been killing me more than any dragon or weapon you Riders could throw at me. Even if I die, I won’t sell out my fellow soldiers. If I do, that red-eyed one and the axe-swinging brute will kill them – after they’re done with my men back there.’ She braced herself defiantly. ‘Do your worst.’

The Blood Fury growled menacingly while Endre gripped his axe.

‘Griseld!’ Hiccup exclaimed. ‘You don’t have to do this! Please, just–’

Bloodshot stopped him with a sharp roar, launching himself forward and grabbing Griseld’s legs in his mouth. He took off with the warlord screaming as she hung out of the dragon’s jaws. Toothless unfurled his wings and Hiccup moved towards the saddle, but Endre stepped forward and held him back by the shoulder.

‘No. It has to be done.’

They both stared at him miserably before watching Bloodshot’s silhouette disappear into the night sky. They cringed amongst Griseld’s fearful cries as she rose higher and higher. Finally, her shrill voice pierced their eardrums for several seconds as Bloodshot dropped her.

Then... silence.

The Blood Fury’s flaps signalled his return. As he landed, he gave a resigned look over at Hiccup and Toothless, both regarding him with pained expressions.

‘Bloodshot… why?’

Toothless lowered his head and growled softly, shooting the Blood Fury a piercing glare. Bloodshot, at first, averted his gaze, before gazing back at him somewhat enviously. Then he turned away and trotted towards Endre, leading the group a few steps before projecting a sound wave into the trees. After several seconds, Duskwing emerged from the tree branches into the middle of the group. From the confusion in his amber eyes, he had no idea what just happened between them.

Hiccup managed to step forward and pat the small Fury on the head on the way. ‘Maybe it’s better you didn’t see any of that…’

He and Toothless fell into line, lost in their own thoughts, as Endre and Bloodshot led them back to their lake camp.

* * *

The sun was rising by the time they recognised the silver reflective streak of water in the distance. As Hiccup and Toothless trudged along, Hiccup realised that Endre had left the previous group of men behind. He knew that he probably left them alone likely out pity for him and Toothless.

_They didn’t see the dragons, though, so maybe… Maybe they didn’t need to die. But Griseld… did she?_

He couldn’t stop asking himself this as they walked. Bloodshot sat heavily on the ground, while Endre pulled up a stump, both with a hard, distant look in their eyes. Hiccup watched them both, anger welling in his stomach as they stayed silent.

‘What… what is wrong with you both? Was that really necessary? Bloodshot? Endre?’

Endre didn’t move. ‘I already told you it was.’

‘Even so…’

The warrior sighed as he glanced at the Viking, narrowing his eyes as he watched.

‘That’s rich. You don’t shed a tear when a dragon dies to protect other dragons, but when a human dies for the same reason; all of a sudden it’s the worst thing in the world.’

Hiccup frowned, his voice breaking. ‘That was… over fifteen years ago! This is different. We could have found another way to keep our mission secret.’

‘What, cut out their tongues?’ Endre suggested mockingly. ‘Cut off their arms so they can’t write? Sometimes killing people is the only way to keep innocents safe.’

Hiccup folded his arms as he glared at Bloodshot for a moment, who avoided his gaze. ‘Innocent… I’m starting to question that.’

‘What about Duskwing, then?’

Hiccup glanced down at the clueless small Fury for a moment. ‘Yes, yes, fine. But I could have talked to her more! If you and Bloodshot had just let me–’

‘No!’ Endre’s voice boomed as he stood up. ‘Trappers, hunters… none of their kind can be trusted.’

Hiccup shook his head. ‘That’s not true. There’s a former trapper – Eret, son of Eret, who understood and was willing to listen.’

The warrior glared at him. ‘Congratulations. One trapper is not as rotten as the rest. And then one hunter comes along and nearly wipes out an entire species. Big difference he made.’

‘What is your problem?!’ Hiccup retorted, brushing the comment aside, despite painful reminder. ‘Are humans just monsters to you?’

‘YES!’

It took Hiccup a moment to process that, softening his gaze a little. ‘Even your family? Your home?’

They stared each other down for several heated seconds. Endre’s voice quivered as he spoke, slowly turning away.

‘Yes… even them.’

Hiccup was speechless, but Endre, after a minute of silence, spoke again.

‘I take it yours weren’t? You have a home to go back to?’

Hiccup felt his anger slowly dissipate. ‘Yes. Astrid, my mom, and kids, and all my friends…’

‘Do they share your views on dragons?’

‘Pretty much all of New Berk does. My friends rode their own dragons, too.’

Endre sat on his stump again, clasping his large hands together and staring at their used fireplace longingly. ‘What I would have given…’

Toothless and Duskwing edged closer and sat facing him, while Hiccup remained standing. ‘I take it they didn’t share your views?’

Endre gave an empty snort. ‘That’s putting it mildly. The way they told it, dragons were a menace that were constant threats to anyone venturing beyond our borders, and they had to be eradicated wherever they were found. Even those that were living in the area before any humans arrived, or any that happened to fly through the area…’

‘Did you know if the dragons were there before the village was founded?’

Endre shook his head slowly. ‘I didn’t know for sure. But when I questioned anyone about it, it was dismissed as irrelevant.’

‘What was the place called?’

‘… I don’t care to remember. Or rather, I _want_ to forget.’

‘Where is it?’

‘To the far southeast of this continent.’

Hiccup frowned to himself. ‘I feel like I should really talk to them, then…’

‘There’s no point. It’s nothing but a smoking pile of rubble.’

Hiccup looked up in alarm, images of Berk running through his head. Memories of his childhood ingrained into the place, and Endre’s, up in flames…

‘What _happened_?’

Endre was silent, shifting his gaze away silently.

‘I… if you don’t want to talk about it, just…’

‘It’s fine.’ Endre straightened up. ‘After meeting those hunters, you’ll likely head north as soon as possible now. You might as well know.’

He closed his eyes and lowered his head. ‘When I was young, it was considered normal for any warrior, big or small, male or female, to defend themselves against invaders, and to kill dragons without hesitation when the chance arose. Except… for some reason that I still can’t figure out... I could never go along with it. It was fair to me to attack other people who invaded our village… They made their choices, after all. But the dragons I did see, I don’t think they could just choose not to attack. Most were not even intelligent enough to make that kind of decision. And the others… Well, we invaded their territory, so I couldn’t blame them for that, either.

‘But almost everyone else did. And on a fateful day in which we fought off a dragon – one of the larger red ones, I refused to fight. And after that, I was a disgrace to my family. I could still fight other invaders, but if I so much as offered an opinion when it came to dragons I was slapped down.

‘So I could do nothing as they kept attacking dragons near the village. Nothing open, that is… I eventually resorted to sabotaging our weaponry and traps wherever I could. I cared less and less about those that died as a result. I soon hated near everyone in the village. I thought of leaving, but abandoning the village was considered one of the worst stains on your honour imaginable. And even then, the dragons around the village were so hostile I probably would have been killed when I ventured too far. That’s what I told myself, at any rate.

Hiccup watched him with a worried frown. ‘Near everyone? Was there anyone you didn’t hate?’

‘In the end, only my mother – and only because she avoided the fighting. I don’t know if it was because she actually cared about the dragons at all, or that she just didn’t want to deal with the violence. She always defended the village’s stance on dragons when I actually asked, though, believing there was no other way, despite my efforts to convince her otherwise.

‘Eventually there came a time where a new species of dragon was sighted nearby; one that we’d never seen before. Problem was no one had a good look at it the first time as it disappeared, almost literally, into thin air. I quickly advocated to leave it be since it was probably just passing through, but as expected a pair of volunteers stepped forward to find and kill it – my father and his closest friend.’

Hiccup winced internally, not liking where this was going.

‘Those two had been hunting dragons for years. Experts. Even if the dragon was dangerous, it was very likely they would succeed. I tried to convince them to leave it alone as they armed themselves, but they ignored me. All my father could say that I was a stain on our family name as he walked out.

‘So I followed them. However, since I rarely participated in dragon hunts at all, I soon lost them as they pushed deeper into the forest. I searched for them for hours, but by the time I caught up to them, it was too late. I heard a crossbow firing and something howling, before crashing to the ground.

‘I found it bleeding out in the grass. I don’t remember it very well, but… it was pure white. No bigger than Toothless or Bloodshot.’ His voice quivered as he bowed his head. ‘It might have been that Light Fury species you mentioned before.’

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged a miserable glance before the warrior continued.

‘I couldn’t do anything to help it. The bolt had pierced its throat. All I could do was sit there, watching it die. It was a beautiful creature. Such a beautiful thing, and they… they just…’

Toothless moaned sadly as Endre wiped his eyes and sniffed.

‘I stayed there for a long time after that. When I left, I was... so angry.’ He trembled for a moment. ‘I found my father and his friend celebrating their accomplishment at home, a cup of mead in each hand. I shoved the door open and the entire table over, and all I could say at first was “Why?” Why did they have to kill it? We had no idea if it was dangerous, least of all if it was a threat to the village. Even if it was, why was killing it always the only option? Well, my father was clear that he didn’t answer to me, and that dragons would always be a threat, and must be dealt with as necessary. And that all dragons were monsters.’ His voice quivered again, but with barely restrained loathing. ‘Oh, there was a monster alright, but it was right in front of me.’

Hiccup stared at him in shock. ‘No… you didn’t…’

‘I did. I attacked them. I don’t remember much after that… by the time I regained my senses, I was face down in the mud outside, while the house was burning to the ground. There was a lot of blood on Luna. And they were both dead. Their bodies were burnt badly by the time they were found, but… I killed them.

Endre’s knuckles were clenched on his knees, but he forced himself to loosen them before he continued.

‘And so I was tried and found guilty as a murderer. We had no room for a jail or imprisonment, so it was death or exile. Given how those two had been highly respected and resource dragon slayers, most of the village wanted me to hang. It was only thanks to my mother’s intervention that I was banished instead. She didn’t ever look at me after that, though, not that I could blame her... And so I left, turning into this foul smelling, dangerous criminal you see before you now.

Hiccup watched him with a mixture of sorrow and wariness. ‘That still doesn’t explain the village being destroyed.’

‘Yes… It happened a while after I left. Though, now that I think about it, was it... waiting for me to leave? Regardless, I just wandered the wilderness alone until I got to the next village; I don’t even remember where I ended up. In the tavern there, I heard that my village had been destroyed by a monstrous dragon, and it happened only a few days after I left.

‘I pushed myself to go back and see if it was true. Part of me was satisfied, in a twisted way. I had warned them for years that the dragons would eventually retaliate further than simply defending themselves. And yet, I hoped it wasn’t true, and if it was, that my mother had survived…’

Hiccup spoke quietly. ‘Did she?’

Endre covered his face. ‘No. I found her body not far from our neighbour’s house… burned, but not from a fire. More like an explosion. The buildings all around had been blasted apart, with only some signs of fire burning down the rest. I… buried her in the centre of the village. And I was just… empty. Not angry, sad, or anything. All I could say was… why? Why didn’t they listen?’

Hiccup watched him mixed feelings. He wanted to offer sympathy, but the nature of the warrior’s crime was not something he could just overlook or forgive.

‘I couldn’t save it… If only I had acted sooner…’

Despite the debate within his head, Toothless and Duskwing approached Endre when some tears began to trickle down his beard. Duskwing ran his head under the warrior’s right hand, and he stroked the dragon gratefully. Toothless sat on his other side, looking at him with wide eyes and crooning gently. Endre held his hand out reluctantly at first, touching the dragon’s forehead, and Toothless leaned his head further to nuzzle his beard. The warrior, after getting over his surprise, leaned his head down and placed his other hand under Toothless’ chin.

‘Thank you… both of you.’

Hiccup watched them, folding his arms as he became lost in thought. He honestly didn’t know how to respond, let alone plan for what to do next.

Bloodshot strode over to sit by him, watching the Viking with a scrutinising look. Hiccup immediately shot a similar one back.

‘What? Don’t look at me like that. And don’t think you’re off the hook, either.’

He sighed and walked off, trying to refocus. He sat closer to the saddle, away from everyone else, and took out his map again, but try as he might, he was unable to concentrate on plotting their next course. Eventually, the whole party had to rest after last night’s events, sleeping without concern for their plans.


	9. Purpose

They gradually woke up one after another that afternoon, the camp mostly silent as Endre half-heartedly went to the lake for fish while Hiccup planned their next route. Problem was, even with Griseld’s death, it was likely the survivors knew of the dragons; though it was unlikely they could track them for a while after being left in the net. Hiccup wanted to eventually cover the remaining area east of the lake, but would at least have to head north temporarily and lay low.

Endre didn’t bother to question his decisions after that, only regarding him with slight disapproval on more questionable routes. The two rarely spoke aside from required, which persisted over the next couple of weeks. The group focused on moving as far north as possible and keeping watch every night for pursuers. They had to slow their progress as they moved up, often having to go without sleep.

It remained unspoken but known to both that it would be far safer for them to go and fly off to the northern continent as soon as possible. But Hiccup felt like no matter where they went, trappers would be a threat, and he couldn’t shake the feeling they were missing something. Like there was a Night Fury still alive and waiting to be found, but similarly on the run from the hunters. After all, why would the hunters be here if they didn’t hear of a dragon? From what little he got from Griseld, they found not one dragon in ten years, so if it really was here, it hadn’t been found yet.

And so they followed a route circling slightly towards the north, approaching the northern peninsula just before the ocean, and work their way around the edge of the continent back down to the eastern area they had missed before. Hiccup noticed Endre and Toothless spending more time together after that, and Hiccup observed Endre’s musing over the Night Fury. But between their silent treatment and constant movement, Hiccup had little time to dwell on it. After a couple of weeks of travelling, they were no closer to finding another Night Fury, even though they found the occasional remains and scales of other dragons.

On top of that, they were met with further signs of recent human activity. Along with the occasional relocation at night, they found abandoned camps, weapon emplacements, broken cages, muzzles and nets. They avoided these camps whenever they could, but the group gradually grew more jumpy and stressed the longer they went. Hiccup declared that if they circled around back to the lake without finding anything, they would have to leave and head to the northern continent – by flight if necessary.

However, a couple of days after this declaration, they had begun to break away from the northeast coast to circle down south. That night, they had made camp close enough to the northeast cliffs to see where the land ended, but far away enough that they were still protected by the trees and had no danger of wandering off the edge, even if a certain criminal was drunk.

The dragons were resting after the day of walking, and it was close to sunset. They had left a camp behind three days ago after Toothless had located approaching humans with echolocation. And despite the group having travelled as fast as they could, Duskwing raised his head to watch southward as he twitched his frills. He projected a soundwave, and immediately stood up with a low cry of alarm.

‘Again?!’ Hiccup exclaimed tiredly as he leapt up and strapped on his backpack, almost as soon as he dropped it.

Endre simply picked up Luna reservedly, almost as if he was expecting this outcome.

‘Toothless! You guys hide!’

Toothless quickly faced northwest back the way they came, calling out his own shockwave, only to growl and step back.

Hiccup and Endre exchanged an alarmed look. ‘Where are they supposed to go now?!’ The warrior hissed under his breath.

Toothless watched the panicking dragons ponderously, barking at them quickly and taking off slightly off the ground towards the cliff. Endre stared after him, dumbfounded; as did Bloodshot, but Duskwing and the Blood Fury quickly followed him as he dove over the edge in the distance. Hiccup, however, drew Inferno. ‘Look alive.’

Endre turned around just before the footsteps sounded from the trees on all sides. They froze as several loaded crossbows emerged first, along with dishevelled and mean-looking trappers approaching. After being surrounded by half a dozen marksmen, another trapper pushed his way through the bushes; the two recognised him as the sword-wielder from before.

‘Nice to see you two again.’

His voice had none of the friendliness implied, scowling at them both. They didn’t move as the two sides stared each other down.

‘Quite a number you did on poor Griseld. Dropping her off a cliff?’ He shook his head slowly. ‘Bad way to go.’

‘Who… what is your name?’ Hiccup managed to say.

‘Oh? The name’s Ralov.’ He inhaled deeply. ‘With Griseld gone, I’m now in charge… with what’s left of us trappers.’ He pressed a hand to his temple. ‘You two really had to screw things up, didn’t you?’

‘What do you want?’ Endre barked, Luna shaking ever so slightly.

‘Before we get to that…’ Ralov’s eyes brightened greedily as he regarded Hiccup. ‘Chief of Berk? I’ve heard some impressive things about you.’

Hiccup regarded him stiffly. ‘Yes, well, no offense, but I haven’t heard of you at all.’

‘The stories about you do not do you justice… though I have to wonder, where is that Night Fury of yours? It was said you never appeared without it.’

When Hiccup was silent, he continued without concern.

‘If you’re not inclined to share, we can continue this discussion later on.’ He folded his arms impatiently. ‘You can make this easier on yourself. Where is your Night Fury? And more importantly, why are you here?’

Hiccup frowned defiantly. ‘You’ll get nothing from me.’

Ralov narrowed his eyes at Endre curiously. ‘I wonder the same about him?’

As he met the warrior’s hostile gaze, he slumped his shoulders in disappointment. ‘Fine. We’ll do this the hard way. I’ll get more information out of them back at camp.’ He raised his sword out of its scabbard, waving to several marksmen and net-soldiers behind him. ‘Meanwhile, I’ll look around… your dragon can’t be far.’

Hiccup glared at the trapper as he left, the marksmen edging closer as several more soldiers flanked them, ready with nets. He studied them with growing panic. The crossbows weren’t exactly in pristine condition, but were heavier and more mechanically complex than he’d seen from them in the past. Even worse, the loaded shafts were thick with wide jagged tips, as if the trappers had shifted their focus from capturing dragons to killing them if it was more practical.

_A dead dragon would still be worth a lot... this is bad..._

‘We can’t fight them, Endre. We’ll have to go along with them for now.’

The warrior grunted reluctantly as the soldiers stopped a few feet in front of them, the marksmen further back.

‘Put down your weapons. Slowly.’

Hiccup and Endre exchanged a wary glance before they did as they were told, allowing the trappers to bind their hands, and were quickly shoved away into the forest. Hiccup turned his head a little to glance back towards the cliff.

_I hope we can get out of this…If Endre can’t, then it’s up to you, bud._

* * *

They soon found themselves locked, hands still bound, in a rusting cage built for a smaller dragon, just big enough for a Deadly Nadder. The camp was smaller than Hiccup expected; it was possible it was one of a few scattered throughout the region. There were only a couple of dozen trappers, which confirmed Hiccup’s notion that most trappers moved on in the absence of dragons.

Those that remained were too loyal, too obsessed, or too stupid to do anything else but chase dragons. Despite the many death glares and violent sneers in his direction, Hiccup couldn’t help but pity the trappers still here.

‘Real friendly neighbourhood here…’

They could only wait as Ralov was still searching their former camp, which was an hour’s march away. He guessed that Ralov would interrogate them for information on the Night Furies, and he hoped that they’d find some way out before that happened…

He leaned closer to the warrior on the other side of the cage. ‘Any ideas?’

‘For what?’

Hiccup frowned. ‘What do you think, genius? Getting us out of here!’

Endre twisted his beard as he looked over his shoulder. ‘You saw them lock it with a key. I’ve tested the bars – they may look rusty, but the workmanship holds up. They’re obviously built for dragons. We can’t escape, unless Ralov somehow chooses to let us out for his “questioning”.’

Hiccup frowned and looked around quickly. Despite their hands being bound, there must be some jagged edge in the cage they could use.

‘Hey, help me out here. There might be something we can use to undo these bonds.’

Endre didn’t move. ‘What’s the point? We might as well just rot here.’

Hiccup watched him with scrutiny. The warrior’s disappointment with him was brought to the surface again. _Could he mean… Toothless and the others should leave us behind? I… Toothless would never do that, even if it’s better for him. As well as Duskwing and Bloodshot…_

He watched the dejected warrior silently for several long seconds.

‘Look, I’m sorry, alright?’ Hiccup said with a heavy sigh. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t everything you hoped. I’ve made… a lot of mistakes. And I’ve lost both people and dragons because of those mistakes. I didn’t realise until now, but… despite how it turned out, I wish things could have been different with the Red Death too. Life just… doesn’t turn out the way you hope.’

Endre shifted a little to glance at him out of the corner of his eye.

‘Right now we both need to work together to get out of this – for someone that is far bigger than either of us. So, just–’

‘I was jealous, you know.’

Hiccup was caught off guard, staring at him in surprise. ‘What?’

‘You and Toothless… your entire village, and dragons, together. You succeeded where I failed, even though I tried to talk to them like you did… but I suppose I didn’t have the strength to really stand up to them until it was too late.’ Endre closed his eyes. ‘You’re better than me. I just wished you understood the responsibility you carry.’

‘You think I don’t? It’s why I had to…’ He glanced around for a moment, ‘let you-know-who go to you-know-where. It hurt, so much, but it was for the best.’

‘Yes… yes it was.’

Some life seemed to return to the warrior’s eyes, but he still regarded the Viking sceptically. After a short breath, he looked up. ‘I don’t see how we’re getting out without help. And I doubt there would be any trappers willing to let us out for a round of mead.’

Hiccup’s eyes darted around once more. ‘This cage is old. There must be some jagged edge that we could use to free our hands, at least.’

They both shuffled awkwardly around the edges of the cage, searching every scrap of metal top to bottom for an exposed edge anywhere. It didn’t help that the nearest torch was behind a pile of crates, so they could barely see. They eventually resorted to pressing their exposed hand and their back against the edges of the cage, feeling for a sharp enough prick to be useful.

Finally, Hiccup found an edge that was long enough to dig into his back. When he pressed one of his fingers against it, he felt a sharp pain and trickle of liquid.

‘I’ve got something… Courtesy of a pricked finger.’

Hiccup tapped his shoulder against the edge, signalling the position to Endre. The warrior glanced around before nodding to him.

‘Try it.’

Hiccup pulled his wrists as far apart as they could go, now taking care to avoid the metal with his skin. He had only just started with the rope when several soldiers approached the cage, illuminating them with several torches, causing them to squint as they looked up at their captors – all still heavily armed.

Ralov scowled darkly as he eyed the two of them. ‘Well, I suppose it’s your lucky day. We found nothing but a fishbone or two…’ He gripped his chin with a malicious smile. ‘Though I could say it’s your unlucky day too. We are going to find out what you know, one way or another.’ He stepped aside for a moment to reveal another trapper, a pudgy one that resembles a smith of sorts, brandishing a red-hot iron. ‘Have you ever been tortured before, Hiccup? Since we could never really capture you, I’m guessing that’s a no.’

Hiccup gulped as he stared at the iron. Ralov chuckled as he watched.

‘Regardless of how much you care for your pet, the iron will convince you eventually. And don’t lie – the fact that you two had barely any supplies with you means your dragon’s nearby.’

‘Wait.’

Ralov frowned as Endre stood up defiantly.

‘If you’re going to torture anyone, torture me. After all… I was the one who killed Griseld, not him.’

Ralov bore his teeth a moment as he gave the warrior a deathly glare. ‘I… see. I suspected as much. But since you were so forthcoming… perhaps it would make things easier if I tortured you first. Very well…’ He reached for a set of keys in a pouch, and went for the lock…

‘Boss! Boss!’

Ralov groaned loudly as he watched one of the scouts running towards him. The smith glared daggers, pointing the iron towards the scout as he approached.

‘What is it? Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something important?’

‘I apologise sir, but… I saw something. A pair of red eyes, staring at us through the trees! There’s no animal that has eyes like that… It can only be a dragon.’ He glanced at their prisoners while Ralov’s eyes widened. ‘It must be that Night Fury come to rescue them!’

As Ralov gripped his chin, Hiccup thought quickly. _If they think red eyes could be Toothless, they must be new. Or at the very least, hadn’t seen Toothless to know what his eye colour really is. We can use this…_

‘Which direction?’

‘Northwest.’

Ralov continued to grip his chin, while the soldiers around looked to him eagerly.

‘What should we do, sir? The dragon is so close… if we catch it, we’ll be set for life!’

‘I’m aware of that,’ Ralov barked back, ‘but something about this feels… off.’

‘You’ve gotten him mad.’

The soldiers all turned their heads as Hiccup stood close to the cage entrance.

‘And trust me; you don’t want to make him mad. He’s coming for me, and when he gets like this, he’s not going to worry about blowing some people up on the way.’

Some of the soldiers paled, but Ralov remained calm. ‘Good. If he’s mad, then he will be drawn here. And if torturing one of you now will help things along…’

There was a distance yell and body falling to the ground, soon followed by someone moaning painfully and rolling in the ground.

‘It’s attacking already?’ Ralov reluctantly gestured for the smith to lower the iron. ‘We have to go for it now while we have the chance!’ He cast his voice over the camp. ‘Focus on the dragon! It can’t escape if we surround it! And even if it does, it will come back for them.’

As most of the men left, he gestured for one, armed with a sword, to stay back.

‘Keep an eye on them. They’ll be a nuisance if they escape.’

The soldier nodded silently as Ralov took off after the others. The rest of the camp scrambled for their weapons, the nets and crossbows being taken by the dozens.

‘What is Toothless thinking?’ Endre hissed under his breath. ‘Bloodshot can’t take them all!’

‘That’s not his plan.’ Hiccup whispered back.

‘Huh?’

‘Nevermind.’

The soldier thankfully couldn’t hear them over the yelling and roaring nearby. He tried to keep his attention focused on them, but as the distant screaming began, he began to lose focus and frequently look away with concern. Whenever he got the chance, Hiccup pressed himself back against the edge, gradually weakening his bonds.

He simultaneously pulled on the rope while scraping them against the jagged metal until one strand split, letting him unravel the strands. Endre turned around and he quickly undid his bonds after some difficulty, squinting at the knot in the dark.

As soon as he was free, Endre silently moved up to the cage entrance, and pulled the soldier by his neck. It didn’t take long for the soldier to pass out. As said soldier collapsed, Endre shoved his entire body against the cage door, but it didn’t budge. They listened worriedly as the trappers continued to go after Bloodshot – the screams and plasma blasts echoing throughout the camp. Hiccup frowned miserably; whether the trappers lived or died was out of their hands now.

‘Now what?’

Hiccup grimaced confidently. ‘I’m sure Toothless and Duskwing will figure something out… we just have to trust them.’

Endre furrowed his brow for a moment, inclining his head before standing watch. And after only a minute, they spotted movement toward the southeast.

The thickest, tallest oak tree suddenly caught fire among its top branches. Then its base exploded, and with slow, deafening cracks it toppled over towards the camp. With a booming thud, it landed with its branches in the middle of the camp, quickly setting fire to the tents nearby. As the flames began to spread and smoke rose into the night sky, voices cried out in the distance.

‘Sir! The camp!’

‘What?!’

The trappers split, half immediately rushing back to the camp, but not before several of their crates were blasted into piles of splinters, along with any large mounted weapons they still had on the ground. Ralov yelled out over the noise in a panic.

‘Retreat! Save the camp!’

Despite his declaration, many of the trappers remained where they were for a moment.

‘Are you kidding? There’s a dragon right there! We won’t need any of that stuff anymore!’

‘You’re an idiot! Our food’s in there! And we’re miles from any town!’

The hubbub was interrupted for a split second as another trapper was blasted, screaming as he fell. Then all Ragnarok broke loose as the trappers were pulled between trying to defend themselves against the dragons while also trying to save what supplies they could. With what light there was flying over the place erratically, it seemed the Night Furies knew what they were doing.

‘Impressive…’ Endre muttered.

Hiccup began to move around closer to the ground. ‘If my hunch is right, then Duskwing should be…’

Right on cue, a pair of narrowed, but recognisable yellow eyes approached low from the ground, sliding behind crates and any cover they could and avoided the trappers running to and fro between them. Duskwing stepped over the unconscious guard and stood at the cage door, quickly looking around for a way in.

‘Sorry, Dusk…’ Hiccup said as he got closer, ‘Ralov has the keys. It’s too dangerous for you to try and get them.’

Duskwing stared at the cage door, drawing closer to the padlock. As he opened his mouth, Hiccup stood back hastily as the dragon blasted it. It didn’t come clean off – it must have been somewhat dragon-proofed. Duskwing blasted it again, and it glowed red and loosened quite a bit.

Endre got and quickly shoved against the door again, and the metal visibly stretched and cracked. Duskwing stood back as Hiccup joined him, and together, they shoved the door hard enough for the metal to break apart. They stood for a moment, looking around the camp.

‘Did you see where they took our weapons?’ Hiccup half-yelled.

‘Look for the tallest or widest tent!’

They all looked around frantically, and Duskwing grunted sharply as he spotted a tent still standing with a ruined insignia barely engraved in the cloth. It was faded, but it was familiar to Hiccup; a red, thin dragon outline, surrounded by swords and arrows boring into it.

_The Dragon Hunters... what was left of them joined up the warlords, then._

‘That way!’

Hiccup led the other two through the chaotic mess of bodies, Duskwing keeping his head low to the ground as he followed them fluidly. They soon found their weapons and backpacks – thankfully the trappers didn’t have time to properly secure them. They were planted in a weapon rack while the backpacks were thrown roughly into a pile. Endre grabbed a larger bag out from the pile, and after taking a quick look inside, strapped it on his bag while placing his own to wrap around his chest.

He shrugged under Hiccup’s questioning gaze. ‘Might as well take what we can.’

Once they secured their belongings, they looked in opposite directions. ‘Where to now?’Endre grunted.

Hiccup frowned for a moment. ‘More of the trappers are in Bloodshot’s direction. We’ll find Toothless and circle around – hopefully they can signal him by echolocation once we’ve put enough distance between us and those trappers.’

They raced southeast towards the base of the collapsed oak, having to push aside – and in Endre’s case, shove to the ground – any trappers that happened to be in their way. Endre stole the torch off of the second one before punching him into the ground. They hid behind the trees as soon as they cleared the edge of the camp, and Duskwing projected a sound wave in several directions ahead. Toothless’ green eyes emerged from the darkness, and before Hiccup could stop him he glomped Hiccup and licked his face fervently.

‘I’m okay, bud!’ He stood up quickly. ‘But Bloodshot… he needs our help.’

Toothless nodded swiftly, and Hiccup pulled himself onto the saddle. They took off on the ground at a gallop, Endre and Duskwing running as fast as they could to keep up.

They circled around the camp westward, following the sounds of screaming and plasma blasts. It sounded like Bloodshot was able to keep out of sight for now, with more and more of the trappers retreating back to the camp.

Toothless and Duskwing soon projected soundwaves in that direction, and they waited in place for a minute. Bloodshot emerged quickly, and he greeted them by leaning forward and letting Hiccup touch his snout.

‘Thanks, Bloodshot. I’m glad you’re safe.’ He quickly frowned as Toothless stood up. ‘But we need to go. We have no choice but to go north, and as far away as possible.’

‘Should we fly, then?’

Hiccup hesitated for a moment.

‘It’s come to this… Bloodshot.’ He stared at the Blood Fury’s eyes. ‘Please, let Endre ride you. It’s the only way.’

Endre faced the Blood Fury, and the pair glanced at each other in the eyes for a moment. Bloodshot slowly closed his eyes and opened them again with a bow of his head.

The warrior took a moment to move, awkwardly pulling himself up onto the dragon’s back and gripping his shoulders. Hiccup gave a short nod to them and Duskwing, and Toothless turned around, pointed at the sky and took off. To his alarm, voices close by sounded as soon as his wings flapped.

‘I hear wings! Shoot them down!’

‘But… we need one alive…’

‘Even a dead one is worth something! And there’s more than one up there!’

‘All marksmen, shoot them down!’

Toothless yowled in alarm as several bolts whistled in their direction, forcing them to barrel roll and drop slightly to avoid them. Several clicks of reloading sounded below them, and Hiccup’s chest pounded in a panic as he heard heavy _thunks_ of the heavy crossbows, with at least a dozen jagged bolts whistling in their direction. Then he saw the silver of the metal reflect in the moonlight speeding towards them, and Toothless had just pulled out his dive…

Then a black shape darted in front of them, Bloodshot’s red eyes watching them sadly before he began to fall.

‘No!’

He pushed forward down on the saddle, Toothless immediately roaring and diving towards the pair, Endre’s yelling directing them to him. As the yelling drew closer, Hiccup outstretched his hand. ‘Endre!’

The warrior managed to grasp his hand, and Hiccup’s arm felt like it was about to pop off as he swung him around to sit behind him. After a breath, he looked around frantically for Bloodshot’s silhouette.

‘We have to catch Bloodshot! He’s–’

The crash sounded below them before he could finish. They stared down in shock.

‘Bloodshot…?’

Toothless and Duskwing dived down towards the sound as fast as they could. Endre shoved his torch forward as they landed, following the skid marks in the dirt. Hiccup and Endre dismounted as soon as they spotted the Blood Fury’s wings splayed out as the dragon lay on his side.

Hiccup’s breathing quickened as he approached, whipping out Inferno and rushing forward. He moved the blade across the dragon’s body, find several bolts lodged in his legs… the worst having left a large gaping gash close to his stomach and bleeding profusely. The dragon’s breathing was slow and laboured.

‘No, no, Bloodshot… don’t do this to me, pal…’

He went and pulled out the more shallow bolts in his legs, but froze as he stared at the gaping wound. Tears began to form in his eyes, as he sat in front of the dragon’s face, paralysed. Toothless stared at the wound and Bloodshot in shock.

‘I can’t… no more Night Furies can die… please… they need you…’ He touched the dragon’s snout, and Bloodshot opened his red eyes a little to look at him and Toothless. ‘We need you… Toothless needs you…’

The Blood Fury hummed quietly in response, and Toothless crooned gently, lowering his head towards the ground.

‘Hiccup.’

The warrior gripped his shoulder, but he pulled it away.

‘I know what you’re going to say. “I told you so”. “We should have left ages ago”. Then this would never have happened… Well, you’re right. You happy?! I just–’

‘Hiccup!’

He opened his eyes to look at him. The warrior was staring at Toothless. ‘Toothless is… doing something…’

Hiccup blinked away the tears and studied his partner. His spines were poking up, and began to glow purple down his back and within his mouth, and breathing heavily. He was staring at Bloodshot’s gaping wound, and soon glanced at them expectantly.

‘What is he doing?’

Hiccup stared between Toothless and the bolt still lodged in Bloodshot’s flank. ‘You… want me to pull it out?’

Toothless inclined his head.

Endre and Duskwing turned around at the sound of distant footsteps. The warrior gripped Luna in both hands while Duskwing projected again, growling and lowering his head defensively.

‘Whatever you’re going to do, do it quick.’

A flicker of hope burned within him, and Hiccup slowly reached for the bolt, while also holding the dragon’s wing up and out of the way, with Toothless standing between them as clasped the bolt in both hands. He looked up for a moment as another bolt whistled in the air, but Endre blocked it, with Duskwing immediately shooting the marksman in the head. Hiccup forced himself to refocus, grinding his teeth miserably as he heard the dragon twitch and howl as he pulled it from his flesh to avoid as much blood loss as possible.

As soon as it was free, he stepped away, and Toothless opened his mouth wide while purple plasma spurted from his throat. He watched with disbelief as the dragon projected the light over the wound. Hiccup tried to hold down Bloodshot’s limbs as he flailed in response, even as Toothless proceeded.

After a minute of struggling, Toothless closed his mouth and stepped back, looking the Blood Fury up and down fearfully. The dragon’s breathing slowed and he relaxed, but Bloodshot didn’t wake up.

‘He closed the wound…’ Hiccup said to himself. ‘I…’

As he paused, it was quiet. It seemed Duskwing had taken care of their pursuers... for now. Endre doubled back and knelt for a closer look. ‘It’s not completely healed. But how is this possible?

Hiccup could only shake his head with relief as Endre studied the wound with a heavy frown.

‘… It’s messy. He’s not going to be able to fly anytime soon.’

Hiccup glanced at the wound again, and there was still blood and charred flesh all over the area. Toothless let him go through the saddle for any bandages they still had, while Duskwing stood atop a nearby rock as a lookout. It was a miracle no other trappers had come after them – or it was possible they retreated to save what was left of their camp.

They had enough bandages to cover the wounds, but not enough to wrap properly around Bloodshot’s flank.

‘We need more…’ Endre muttered, ‘and we can’t let him hurt himself if he starts moving.’

Hiccup nodded in sombre agreement. ‘I can’t find anything more in the saddle.’ He raised his head as he studied the warrior. ‘What about that pack you picked up?’

Endre blinked for a moment before taking it off and digging through its main pocket. After a minute, he pulled out a white net – one constructed with interlocking square attachments. He pulled it out fully, and Hiccup stared at it with recognition and slight disgust.

‘It’s a full-body restraint… designed for a captured Night Fury…’

Endre held the net, staring down at it with apprehension, especially the muzzle area. ‘This could work. But…’

Hiccup swallowed and shook his head. ‘We don’t have a choice. Give it here, and lift his head…’

He found the opening, kneeling towards the unconscious Blood Fury, and placed his hand gently on the dragon’s snout.

‘Sorry, pal… this is for your own good…’

Once Endre raised the dragon’s large head enough, they worked together to fold his wings and slip him into the net as carefully as possible. Toothless and Duskwing watched with mixed feelings.

They tied the end of the net around the tail, and Hiccup cut away some of the bonds on the facial area so at the very least Bloodshot wasn’t muzzled. On instinct, he and Endre attempted to lift the dragon, but their limbs trembled quickly under the weight.

‘We have to move him… and I have no idea how we’re going to…’

Toothless snorted determinedly as he stepped forward. He began to dip his head towards Bloodshot’s torso, but Hiccup stopped him with a raised hand.

‘Toothless, you can’t carry both the saddle and Bloodshot…’ He glanced between the two dragons quickly. ‘We need to tie him to you.’

Toothless dipped his head in agreement, and they pulled the saddle off of him while fishing out as much rope as possible. Toothless struggled as he pushed himself under the Blood Fury to get him onto his back, and they took advantage of whatever hooks in the net they could find to tie him securely onto the Night Fury. Toothless initially struggled to stand once it was done, and Hiccup stood in front of him with concern.

‘If he’s going to survive, Toothless… you have to carry him until he can fly again. Can you handle that, bud?’

Toothless stared at him determinedly, snorting as his answer.

Hiccup smiled and pat him on the shoulder, before inhaling heavily. He glanced back at Endre and Duskwing.

‘We can’t fly now. Our only hope is to get to the northern tip… and for Bloodshot to recover before then. Dharcrest is too far. And if he doesn’t, then…’ He leaned against Toothless’ saddle. ‘I don’t know what we’ll do.’

Endre watched the despondent Viking for a moment before walking up to him and grabbing him gently by the shoulders. ‘We’ll follow your lead – we got this far. So don’t give up on them. You hear me?’

Hiccup managed a surprised, small smile, before they hurried off into the morning light.

* * *

They soon lost track of the days. Light or dark meant little after that, only moving every chance they could in the absence of other humans in their path. Duskwing and Toothless constantly projected soundwaves as they secured their route as they went, only moving when they proceeded first.

Bloodshot was not at all happy when he woke up the night after his fall, but could only resign himself to his position as he barely had the strength to fight against his bonds. Hiccup prioritised what food and water they had left to him, despite the dragon’s reluctance. They soon ran out of rations, and had no luxury of hunting while on the move at their speed.

Hiccup had to carry all the backpacks while Endre hauled the saddle over his back. Their legs and back soon became numb to the constant aching as they kept up with the dragons the best they could. All they could really do was return to the peninsula’s edge every chance they could get, checking the map as they went.

Toothless also suffered similar problems. He made an effort to hide it, but Hiccup noticed frequent frothing out of the side of his mouth. The lack of food only made it worse as he panted heavily and frequently. Hiccup couldn’t find a way to help him without slowing down.

Once the peninsula began to curve west, they were finally able to spot distant land. However, their original plan to explore was... unrealistic, at best. Hiccup had little idea of how much time they left, whether it be regarding his promise to Berk, or Bloodshot without some dedicated medical attention from home. There was a sense of dread hanging over them, for more reasons than one, but all they could do was hurry forward with all their strength.

Hiccup stood astride Toothless and the others as they took in the sight of the open ocean, enjoying the calming sea breeze while they could. Bloodshot shifted and growled in annoyance to the point where Toothless lowered himself to the ground.

‘You okay to try, pal?’

The Blood Fury snorted dismissively, barking with bared teeth at Inferno in its sheath.

‘If I cut you free… you have to promise not to hurt yourself. It won’t be easy getting you back in and keeping you there.’

Bloodshot growled impatiently, prompting him to cut the dragon’s bonds, starting with his front and back legs. The Blood Fury shook off the remains as he slid off of Toothless’ back, flinching as he hit the ground and sinking to a flat sitting position. Toothless stretched his limbs out with the weight freed from his shoulders.

Bloodshot snarled shortly when Hiccup began to approach, raising himself slowly to his feet. He managed to walk, though there was a clear limp as he was favouring his right flank a little.

‘Can you fly? It all comes down to that.’

They all watched hopefully as he unfurled his wings, the dragon grimacing painfully as he did so. His right wing was not fully unfurled, and he growled lowly as he stretched it out as far as he could. Then he stared at the sky fixatedly, launching himself up and flapping hard, only to immediately howl and drop to the ground. He quickly stood up before Toothless or Hiccup approached, growling again and staring at the sky. He launched himself up, howling again, but managing to stay in the air. He winced with each flap, but the pain seemed to lessen each time until he was able to hover a good distance above their heads.

‘Now… You might have to fly for an entire day at a time. It’ll hurt.’

Bloodshot watched Hiccup silently, inkling his head slowly in understanding and lowering himself to the ground. He glanced away dismissively as Toothless eyed him with concern.

Hiccup inhaled. ‘And now we go… We can go home.’

The silence hung in the air as he turned around slowly. Duskwing was standing ready next to Toothless. But Endre was facing back towards the forest, his shoulders squared.

‘Endre?’

The warrior was silent for a moment, and spoke without turning around.

‘You’re right. _You_ can go home.’

Hiccup stared at the warrior’s back. ‘What? What are you…?’

Endre didn’t wait for him to finish turning around to look at him with glistening eyes. ‘You know as well as I do we didn’t get far. They are coming. We have a few minutes, if we’re lucky, before they trace us to this position.’ He glanced over at Duskwing. ‘I’m right, aren’t I, Duskwing?’

The small Fury stared at him, lowering his head with resignation. Hiccup started to shake his head.

‘No. NO. I’m _not_ leaving you behind.’

Endre spoke gently. ‘There’s no escaping it. Duskwing is too small. Bloodshot might not make it as it is. And Toothless is exhausted, and still has to carry you and the saddle back home. If you take me, you’ll end up in the ocean, with no way out.’ His eyes dipped towards Hiccup’s bag. ‘I saw the map. There will be a huge expanse of ocean no matter which way you go.’

Hiccup tightened his clenched fist as the warrior turned away.

‘I think you knew a while back that I couldn’t come. It’s the only way. The Furies are one of the many reasons, and the most important, that I came with you. You have to get them to safety.’

Hiccup ran to stand in front of him, staring at him with welling tears.

‘I can’t! Not again! I can’t lose anyone else!’ He clenched his eyes shut and looked away. ‘We couldn’t have done this without you. There’s got to be something we can do! We can come back for you, or I could… I…’

Endre stepped forward and grabbed his arm gently, exchanging a soft glance between them.

‘It’s alright, Hiccup. You’ve given me this… a chance to make my life mean something. It’s more than anyone has ever given me.’

Hiccup bit his lip and looked away, unable to find any words. Endre turned around, looking at Duskwing and Bloodshot side by side. Duskwing moaned miserably and stared up at him, and the warrior knelt down to stroke his head, standing and doing the same to Bloodshot, who could only stare at him with regret.

‘I won’t forget you – either of you. I can only ask you to remember me, alright? Even if I’m not the best image of a human around.’

Toothless recoiled a little as the warrior approached him. He was unable to look him in the eye until Endre placed his palm on the side of his large head. The warrior watched the dragon, adoration pouring from his expression.

‘Thank you, Toothless. I know that dragons are not gone, because of you and Hiccup. Make sure they stay that way, okay?’ Toothless lowered his head a little, moaning quietly.

‘And... I’m sorry I couldn’t save her.’

Toothless was quiet for a moment, pushing head up to wrap around the warrior’s shoulder, hugging him with his wing on the other side. Endre kept his arms around the dragon’s head, reluctantly pulling away.

The warrior turned back to Hiccup, standing aside and gesturing towards Toothless. The Viking dragged himself over to the dragon, but not before grabbing the warrior’s arm with his, locking a pained gaze with Endre’s warm expression. He pulled the warrior into a short hug, before stepping back and onto Toothless.

The dragons took off together over the edge, the water now plummeting and churning in the distance below. Hiccup and Toothless looked over their shoulders at the warrior one last time… and he was smiling.

As the figures disappeared slowly into the horizon, Endre turned around and knelt on the ground, planting Luna in the ground and took a deep, calming breath as he heard dozens of distant, metal clad footsteps approach. Images of his past… the mangled bodies of his victims… his mother’s grave… the dying Light Fury… all came back to him at once.

_Perhaps… it was all worth it, in the end. I found my calling... and none of you can take it from me._


	10. Reunion

The group flew to the west and circled around down, gradually flying southwest until they were on course for New Berk. They were able to stop and rest at some scattered islands as they went, and were able to scoop up some fish. However, they only stayed one night on the last island on their way, before the vast expanse of the ocean was before them.

Bloodshot managed to fly the whole way, slowing them down somewhat, but pushed himself on despite the pain. Toothless also found it difficult to fly after leaving the islands, and Hiccup resorted to dumping what they could out of the saddlebags just so they could keep flying. And Duskwing struggled too, most likely because he, like Bloodshot, had never flown so far at once before.

It was a weight off them all when finally, Hiccup spotted a familiar jutting isle emerging from the fog they had been travelling through, yelling out over the wind.

‘Well, we’re here. This… is New Berk.’

The dragons didn’t have the energy to respond, only make a beeline for the nearest open field they could see.

As they began to spot figures scattered over the first grassy field, they stopped and quickly began yelling and cheering. That soon turned to screaming as Bloodshot and Toothless came closer and flailed wildly as they lost control on their descent. While they didn’t crash, they left heavy skid marks as they collapsed right after their hard landing. Duskwing managed a lighter landing, but remained where he was, covered in dirt.

‘The Chief! Night Furies! All crashed! Get help!’

Hiccup’s legs buckled a little under his weight as he dismounted, swaying as he finally met solid ground. He pulled himself together, and tried to gauge where they landed. The nearest building wasn’t too far, and from the direction it was facing, they had landed on an eastern field.

‘Hiccup? Are they…?’

Eret was standing there off one of the roads, having carried a pile of wood which was now dropped on the ground in a heap. Hiccup managed to smile in greeting, waving but swaying in place.

‘Hey, Eret… we’re back!’

The former trapper raced forward to examine him and Toothless worriedly, before glancing at the other two. ‘Are you alright? Them?’

‘Me and Toothless, are just exhausted… but Bloodshot needs some help. Mom nearby?’

Eret gave a short nod. ‘I’m pretty sure the whole village is on its way.’

Hiccup frowned a little as he imagined Bloodshot and Duskwing getting swarmed by Vikings. ‘Great... just what we need...’

* * *

They only had to wait a couple of minutes before Valka showed up, and the dragons had recovered enough to actually stand. Valka was quick to help Hiccup unpack Toothless’ saddle, and he shook himself happily once freed from it. Duskwing stood close to Toothless and Hiccup, watching the growing crowd warily, while Bloodshot remained sitting where he was and avoided eye contact with anyone.

Valka pushed through the crowd as soon as she arrived, and she stared at the small group in disbelief, covering her mouth, before beaming with tears in her eyes as she rushed forward and threw her arms around her son.

‘You did it, Hiccup.’ She quickly scratched Toothless behind an upper frill. ‘You too, Toothless. Well done.’

Hiccup smiled but cleared his throat hurriedly. ‘I’m all for congratulations, Mom, but first things first…’ He stepped around his dragon and faced the aloof Blood Fury. ‘This is Bloodshot. And he was wounded pretty badly not long before we left. He could use your help.’

Valka’s eyes lit up as she spotted the Blood Fury, scanning the dragon with warmth and reverence as she crouched a little with her hand outstretched.

‘Another one, at last, in the flesh... magnificent!’

Bloodshot ignored her until she was within ten feet, growling at her threateningly with narrowed eyes.

‘Hey, hey, pal, it’s alright. You can trust her. In fact, you can trust just about everyone here.’ Hiccup glanced back towards the village and spotted Snotlout and the Twins approaching. ‘Actually... scratch that.’ He tipped his head towards his mother. ‘But you can trust _her_ , at least.’

Bloodshot relaxed a little, but still regarded the chieftess suspiciously despite her non-threatening pose. He growled a little and shrunk back as she reached out her hand and drew closer.

‘Ah… so proud and strong…’

The Blood Fury focused on her hand for a moment before bearing his teeth, and Valka pulled her hand back as he snapped his jaw together where her hand had just been.

‘…and with a bit of an attitude problem.’

She folded her arms and stood up straight as the dragon continued to watch her warily. ‘Are you hurt or not? My son has already vouched for me, so what more do you need?’

Bloodshot glanced aside awkwardly, and watched Hiccup briefly out of the corner of his eye. The viking nodded, and the dragon snorted reluctantly – raising his wing to reveal the bloodied bandages covering his sealed wound. He flinched painfully as he did so, with Valka and Hiccup both stepping forward for a closer examination.

‘How does it look?’ Hiccup asked.

Valka furrowed her brow with concern as she looked back at him. ‘It’s a wonder he survived the initial wound. How did you manage to close it?’

‘Actually, it was Toothless… Somehow, he managed to seal it with his plasma breath.’

Valka’s jaw fell open for a moment. ‘Yet more we discover about them… If it was any species, such a thing would have been fatal.’ She cleared her throat and straightened up. ‘First things first; we should replace the bandages; I doubt it’s healed much with all this travelling.’

Hiccup quickly scanned the growing group in the distance, rushing forward as he spotted the large figure struggling to get a good look in the back.

‘Fishlegs! We need bandages for a wounded dragon!’

‘Hey! What about us?’

Hiccup groaned at the sound of the voice as Fishlegs saluted happily and ran off. Tuffnut tapped his foot impatiently as he continually glanced over towards the resting dragons. The chief gripped his chin for a moment.

‘How about you, Ruffnut and Snotlout get some food and water for Toothless and Duskwing?’

‘Duskwing?’ Ruffnut snickered loudly and bent over. ‘What idiot thought up that name?!’

The three exchanged a round of laughs while Hiccup folded his arms and glared off to the side impatiently.

‘Do you want to get closer to Bloodshot or not?’

Snotlout quickly snorted again. ‘Hah! Bloodshot! What kind of–’

Tuffnut quickly held up a hand. ‘Hold up. Is that the red-eyed one?’

Snotlout threw up his hands tiredly. ‘Why else would he be called “Bloodshot”?’

‘He’s the one that looks like he’d… totally kill us if we got close.’

Hiccup stared at Ruffnut as she seemed _pleased_ by that observation.

‘How awesome would that be?’ Tuffnut said back dreamily.

Snotlout frowned for a moment, before he gripped his chin thoughtfully. ‘Hang on. He doesn’t have a rider, does he?’

Hiccup smirked to himself, masking his flash of sadness. ‘No... he does not.’

The three stared at him expectantly for a few long, silent seconds.

‘Isn’t this the part where you tell me “no”?’ Snotlout muttered.

Hiccup shrugged. ‘Maybe. But it’s moot anyway since Mom and I need to replace his bandages. How about you guys feed the other two while we’re doing that, and _maybe_ I can convince him to let you get close without being blasted.’

Snotlout’s eyes brightened hopefully. ‘What about him needing a rider?’

Hiccup laughed after a moment as Snotlout’s pouted. ‘If you do what I say, you might be able to ask him.’

The three shouted enthusiastically and ran off. Hiccup sighed before returning his attention to Fishlegs, who right on cue, had found the supplies he needed.

The rotund Viking held the fresh bandages and antiseptic bottles with a slightly trembling hand. He couldn’t help but squeak in delight as Hiccup lead him towards Bloodshot, stopping quite a distance as Bloodshot glared at the new, large intruder.

‘Easy, Bloodshot. He’s here to help.’

Fishlegs handed off the supplies to Hiccup and Valka, who got to work on his wound. The large Viking’s smile never vanished on approach despite the threatening growls.

‘I’m Fishlegs. And you’re Bloodshot, right? Nice to meet you!’

Toothless and Duskwing looked on in amusement as Bloodshot stared at the Viking incredulously, quickly turning away and flicking his frills. The dragon then winced as Valka began to pull off the old bandages, and Fishlegs quickly dropped his smile as he spotted the wound.

‘Ouch. How did that happen?’

Valka was silent as she began to clean the wound – Hiccup answered instead as they watched her progress.

‘He shielded me and Toothless from trappers, who shot at us with modified bolts... in the dark. In hindsight, it was only because of that we managed to get away… Oh, and their entire camp burning to the ground.’

Valka regarded him with raised eyebrows for a moment as she began administering the fresh bandages. Fishlegs, on the other hand, made a huge smile and balled his fists together as he looked back at the dragon’s uncomfortable grimace.

‘Really? You’re so brave!’

Bloodshot immediately cringed and looked away, a rather pained look on in his eyes.

‘Fishlegs, you might want to hold off on the compliments. They seem to hurt him more than those bolts.’

‘Hiccup!’ Valka chastised quietly as she continued her work. ‘I wouldn’t joke about such things.’

Hiccup examined the fresh cloth as she stood up, wiping her hands of the antiseptic. ‘That looks better. How long do you think it’ll take him to recover?’

Valka scanned the dragon again with a hint of admiration. ‘It looks like Toothless did most of the work. Provided he doesn’t exercise his wings too much, I’d say a few days at most.’

Hiccup nodded to himself. ‘As I thought. They should stay here until he’s fully recovered.’ He got up and patted the dragon’s shoulder. ‘You hear that, pal? Go easy.’

Bloodshot growled with annoyance as Hiccup rolled his eyes.

‘The sooner you get better, the sooner you can go and see those pretty dragons in the Hidden World!’

Fishlegs and Valka stared at them both for a moment.

‘ _That’s_ how you convinced him to come with you?’ Valka exclaimed incredulously, quickly narrowing her eyes at the dragon with disapproval.

The Blood Fury glared back, closing up his wings and hastily standing up. He began to trot away and towards the distant forests until Hiccup spoke up again.

‘Oh, would you look at that. Cooked fish.’

Bloodshot’s frills shot up, and he slowly turned around to where Hiccup was looking; the other two Furies were gorging themselves on the buckets of fish the twins and Snotlout were bringing in.

They all watched as Bloodshot stiffly made his way over and immediately snarled as Snotlout took a pre-emptive step towards him. The Viking left a fish bucket on the grass instead, and stood next to it inconspicuously with his hands behind his back and whistling. The twins stood far back, crouched slightly as if waiting for something to happen. The two Furies also looked on, though with a sense of dread rather than anticipation.

The Blood Fury remained at a distance for nearly a minute, glaring at the Viking next to the fish, who refused to budge. After emitting a frustrated snort, he blasted at Snotlout’s feet, setting one of his boots on fire. The Viking screamed and immediately ran away to the nearest water trough, soon hopping and taking off his boot as he ran.

‘Ha! What a coward!’ Tuffnut exclaimed with a guffaw.

Ruffnut wasn’t far behind. ‘The look on his face was priceless!’

Bloodshot’s gaze flicked to the two guffawing twins, narrowing his eyes at the lanky Viking. Tuffnut stopped laughing as he heard another blast go off, and his helmet was now missing; a small fire in its place. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran after Snotlout.

‘Ohhhh, I am hurt! I am very much hurt!’

Ruffnut continued to chuckle at her brother as he ran off, quickly straightening her helmet and facing the Blood Fury.

‘Hey, could you do me a favour and shoot me too?’

Bloodshot stared at her, baffled, before indulging her and shooting her helmet off and lighting her head on fire in the same manner. She glanced upwards and gave a satisfied smile.

‘Yeah… that works…’

Hiccup cleared his throat and raised his voice.

‘Maybe you should follow Snotlout’s example, Ruffnut.’

‘Sure thing, chief…’ She said with a mocking a salute before following her brother, her head leaving a thin wisp of smoke behind.

With the annoyances finally out of the way, Bloodshot was able to shovel down fish after fish from his bucket. No other Viking dared to come near.

Hiccup inhaled heavily before turning to Valka. ‘Mom… Where’s Astrid? The kids?’

She covered her mouth in surprise. ‘My goodness! It slipped my mind! They’re out in the forest with…’ She smiled enigmatically, ‘well, you wouldn’t believe it, but Moondust and the Night Lights are here! They never left!’

Toothless’ frills perked up as he heard his mate’s name, bounding over and nearly knocking Fishlegs over.

‘Really? Interesting…’ Hiccup grinned to himself. ‘I guess they’re completely at home here, huh?’ His eyes fell a little. ‘When will they be back?’

‘Well…’

Toothless unfurled his wings and howled into the sky, projecting a soundwave forward into the forest.

‘I expect they’ll be here any moment,’ she said with a concerned gaze. ‘Any… Hiccups during your journey?’

Hiccup snorted fondly. ‘You could say that…’ He frowned sadly. ‘We lost someone along the way… and there were dragons we couldn’t save.’

Valka raised her eyebrows in surprise before lowering her gaze. ‘I understand. We’ll wait for your wife, and you can tell us about it. If you’re feeling up to it.’

Hiccup nodded, resigning himself to resting on the grass as he watched the three dragons intermingling with the bravest of New Berk. ‘Thanks, Mom.’

* * *

Bloodshot was on to his second bucket of fish after Toothless and Duskwing had long since eaten their fill, the smaller Fury soon letting the Vikings of New Berk get close enough to pet and stroke him. Meanwhile, they steered clear of Bloodshot, with the exception of Snotlout and the Twins. They continued to watch the Blood Fury from behind large rocks, much to the dragon’s annoyance.

Hiccup and Toothless had expected their families to arrive quickly. What they did not expect was Astrid riding Moondust as the dragons emerged from the forest, carrying Zephyr and Nuffink, sitting behind their mother.

‘Hiccup!’

‘Dad!’

Hiccup opened his arms and knelt on the ground as his children rushed into his arms. After hugging them tightly, Astrid walked forward, her hands on her hips and beaming at her husband warmly.

‘Alright, coming through, you two.’

Nuffink and Zephyr stood aside and averted their gaze as she pulled her husband into a tight hug, and as they faced each other, she gave him a quick kiss. Moments after she pulled away, she gagged and began spitting, before clawing at her tongue with her fingers.

‘Ugh! That smell! When was the last time you washed?’ She glanced at his unkempt beard. ‘And trimmed that thing?’

Hiccup rubbed his head sheepishly. ‘Uh… three months?’

After recovering, Astrid took a moment to count on her fingers. ‘Actually… I’d say you’re early.’ She glanced at Valka, who still held a somewhat solemn expression. ‘I’m guessing it didn’t go as smoothly as you hoped, huh?’

Hiccup nodded slowly. ‘Right. I needed to talk to you two first…’ He glanced at the two curious children at his feet, ‘and you two later. OK?’ He waved towards the dragons, and Fishlegs now gleefully drawing the new arrivals in his sketchpad. ‘How about you introduce yourselves to Duskwing and Bloodshot?’

While they had been talking, Moondust had pounced on Toothless and pinned him on his back, licking his face fervently as he growled happily, with the Night Lights surrounding him and nuzzling and licking him as well. Duskwing and Bloodshot stared on in bewilderment.

‘Duskwing’s the smaller one. As for Bloodshot… be careful around him. I’m pretty sure I can trust him, but just in case…’ He called out to the distracted Fishlegs. ‘Fishlegs! Can you keep an eye on them? My kids too?’

‘Sure thing, Hiccup…’

Fishlegs didn’t otherwise respond, which didn’t inspire confidence; he was too focused on his drawings. Thankfully, Eret was lagging not too far behind coming out of the forest. Once he’d recovered with heavy panting, Hiccup addressed him next.

‘Eret, can you keep an eye on them too? Fishlegs might not be up to it, if you catch my drift…’

The former trapper gave a quick nod after glancing at the engaged Viking. ‘As you wish, Chief.’

Hiccup couldn’t help but twitch. ‘Ugh, still can’t get used to that…’

He quickly shrugged his shoulders and gently pushed the two children forward encouragingly. Nuffink went for Duskwing, while Zephyr stared at Bloodshot in amazement.

‘Ooh! Red eyes black dragon!’

The Night Lights’ attention was soon drawn to Duskwing as well, and before the small Fury knew it, the three had surrounded him and sniffing all over him.

Bloodshot, meanwhile, stood stiff as a board when Toothless got up, and presumably, attempted to introduce Moondust. Hiccup couldn’t tell what they were saying, but it looked rather awkward and uncomfortable for Bloodshot, especially when Moondust nuzzled him on the nose lightly, presumably for saving Toothless’ life. The Blood Fury was uncharacteristically quiet and respectful throughout the whole process.

‘Oh, one thing I should also mention…’ Astrid grinned cheekily at her husband. ‘We went ahead and named them.’

‘Who?’

‘The Night Lights.’ She shifted her gaze over to the whelps climbing all over Duskwing. ‘Their names are Dart, Pouncer and Ruffrunner.’

Hiccup frowned. She had made no effort to distinguish who was who.

‘Yeah, that’s great, Astrid. Real helpful.’ He glanced over at Toothless for a moment. ‘You couldn’t have waited until we got back? Toothless is their father for Thor’s sake!’

Astrid simply shrugged her shoulders, still smiling as she stepped back. ‘I figured that involving you in the process would’ve been a bad idea. Should we leave them to it?’ She turned and walked back towards the village, with Valka and Hiccup following close behind to their home, the latter muttering to himself dejectedly.

* * *

After getting some food and mead of his own, Hiccup soon regaled his journey to the two women, keeping his voice low as he was not completely comfortable with the rest of New Berk, or the children, hearing about the more serious details. By the time he’d finished, he felt exhausted, and somewhat empty, given that they hadn’t been able to go to the northern continent like they planned at all. He quickly remembered upon leaving how optimistic he’d been, but in hindsight it was rather foolish to think a whole flock of Night Furies would be coming back.

‘It will be alright, Hiccup,’ Valka placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. ‘There may be another chance.’

Astrid folded her arms thoughtfully. ‘If the dragons all were able to leave and escape the trappers without our help, even taking a long time, maybe they could search that area without us too?’

Hiccup blinked and stared at his map spread over his desk, lit well by incoming sunlight. ‘You have a point. With enough Night Furies and Light Furies, Toothless might be able to lead them on a search.’ He sighed and held his head in his hands. ‘It’s more than I can handle, at any rate…’

Astrid and Valka bowed their heads sombrely. ‘Endre… he sacrificed himself for the sake of dragons…’ Valka murmured to herself. ‘If only we had found him, a long time ago, things could have ended differently. He deserved better.’

‘I know.’ Hiccup breathed. ‘I wanted to know if the world was ready for the dragons to return. And… I don’t know. It was only because of him and Dharcrest that Duskwing and Bloodshot were alive. Endre always said the dragon’s safety was the most important thing, and that they should never come back. Part of me agrees with him. But…’

‘The problem…’ Astrid began gently, ‘is that it ignores what _they_ want. They can’t stay in the Hidden World forever, even as amazing and big as it is.’

Valka took a deep breath. ‘Then it will be up to Toothless. Or one of their descendants, should it come to that. However… I believe they will one day return. As long as people like Endre and the residents of Dharcrest are around, dragons can live with humans peacefully.’

They sat there in silence for a minute. Eventually, Hiccup rested his head against his desk with a sigh.

‘I need a nap.’

Astrid laughed shortly and helped him up. ‘Well, you deserve a rest. Don’t worry about the dragons; Valka and I can look after things today.’

‘Mm… thanks…’

Once Hiccup had removed his more cumbersome clothes and sunk into bed, he fell asleep almost immediately, images of the dragon skeleton and Endre’s smile still lingering in his head.

* * *

The next week was one of relaxation, but not exactly peace and quiet. Snotlout and the twins insisted on following Bloodshot everywhere, annoying him to the point where Hiccup was seriously concerned for their safety – especially after Tuffnut’s eyebrow was singed. Astrid worked around this problem by assigning more work to them than normal, not bothering to mention that they will let them have time off after the dragons left. As such, she put up with their continual protests and insults with a knowing smile.

Duskwing quickly resigned himself to the Night Light’s play mate, and spent a lot of time with Zephyr and Nuffink. The children, along with Fishlegs, spent a lot of time studying them and playing in equal measure.

Bloodshot and Duskwing had branches added to dragon’s roost which gave them enough space to rest there each night. Hiccup soon noted that Bloodshot took the lowest one, guarding against any unwanted visitors when he was there. When both Bloodshot and Duskwing were present and the Night Lights were otherwise occupied with Duskwing, Toothless and Moondust disappeared for hours at a time. No one bothered to find them or question what they were doing.

A sense of uneasiness lined Hiccup’s gut as the days passed by. Things were going well, and Bloodshot was looking healthier every day. But the thought of the dragons leaving his sight was hard to imagine, especially after spending every waking moment worrying after them with trappers on their tails. And he soon realised he would have to say goodbye, again…

He tried to keep his mind off things by keeping up to date with Fishlegs on the book of dragons and taking on work where he could, but it turned out New Berkians had managed well enough without him. However, they had not made any contact with other villages in the region recently, and Hiccup was soon organising a route to visit Dharcrest. Such plans would not come to fruition for a while yet, as they would only be able to send some messages via couriers on trade ships to at least let the Elder and Sieg know they returned safely with the dragons in tow.

The week was soon over before Hiccup knew it, though Duskwing and Bloodshot were in no hurry to leave. He knew if they didn’t go soon, they might become too attached to New Berk, rather than settle down in the Hidden World. After talking with Astrid, Valka and Fishlegs, they decided jointly that the dragons should leave away from prying eyes, and without any fanfare or assembly of the village. It needed to be done, even if it made them miserable; most of all Fishlegs, as they knew it was up to Hiccup to do the job.

And so, Hiccup went to their roost on that final evening, a few hours before sundown, alone. He walked slowly and heavily, until he was close to the foot of the roost. The Night Lights were still milling about themselves in their enclosure, with Bloodshot and Moondust keeping an eye on them from above. The Blood Fury quickly narrowed his eyes, but relaxed as he recognised the Viking in the shade.

‘Guys? I think… I think it’s time.’ Toothless regarded him with a pained look. ‘I think you know what I’m talking about… right bud?’

Toothless stared at him with wide green eyes and crooned sadly, calling to the others after a few seconds of silence. One by one, the glided down to the ground, with Duskwing and Moondust herding the Night Lights so they were protected by the three adults, who all lined up facing Hiccup expectantly.

‘Alright… follow me.’

Even the Night Lights were quiet as they walked, skirting the edges of the buildings and avoiding contact with the others. Their presence didn’t go unnoticed, however – Gobber exchanged a knowing, sombre glance with the Chief as the group passed the forge, with the old Viking sighing to himself before returning to his work. Likewise, any other Vikings that spotted them only looked on regretfully, returning to their activities, but with a looming heaviness.

Hiccup led them to the peninsula where Toothless and his family had arrived, and where they had to say goodbye ten years ago. Though if his ideas would come to fruition, it would be made with some landing facilities in mind, so long as the dragons were going to visit regularly.

He stopped some distance from the edge, allowing the dragons to stand with their heads raised and bask in the cool, fresh scent on the evening wind. He watched the three Night Furies standing side-by-side. Toothless would now have everything he needed: family and friends, all together to help, protect and support each other, even if they were living on their own away from humans.

_There’s hope for them now…_

He slowly inhaled loud enough to get their attention, and all the dragons turned around to face him in a line.

‘Well, this is it, guys. You’d better get going sooner rather than later. I don’t imagine the Hidden World will descend into anarchy with you gone, but… To be safe, you know?’

He grinned somewhat awkwardly as he knelt towards Moondust and the Night Lights, giving each of the little ones a scratch around the frills and placing a gentle hand on Moondust’s snout.

‘Take care of them, OK?’ He glanced at each of the Night Lights. ‘Dart, Pouncer, Ruffrunner – sorry I don’t know which is which, but don’t cause too much trouble for Duskwing or your father, okay? That – or grow up quick.’

Moondust snorted with amusement as he glanced at her next. ‘Make sure Toothless and Bloodshot don’t fight too much. I won’t be around to break them up, after all.’

As she inclined her head somewhat gruffly, he nodded with satisfaction and stood up. He knelt in front of Duskwing next, who arched his head into his outstretched hand.

‘You grow up too, okay? Watch out for the others. Keep your eyes open for Speed Stingers, especially. Don’t want one of those sneaking up on you.’

Duskwing lowered on eye in slight confusion, but growled affirmatively. He stood up again, folding his arms as he faced the two larger Night Furies. ‘So. Like I said, no fighting, alright? Unless it’s for training or something like that…’ he scratched his nose thoughtfully, ‘not that I’ve known Toothless to ever want that…’ Bloodshot snorted impatiently. ‘Anyway!’ He regarded the Blood Fury fondly. ‘Well, aren’t you glad you didn’t kill me, pal?’

Bloodshot lowered his gaze away, but snorted softly in response.

‘Oh, and if you want to find a girlfriend over there… Don’t ask Toothless for advice. Trust me.’

Toothless yelped as Bloodshot shot him amused look; and when he turned to Moondust, she was nonchalantly studying a passing cloud overhead.

Hiccup laughed, and Bloodshot also gave one throaty chuckle. Hiccup looked him in the eye for a few seconds, and slowly raised his hand. Bloodshot didn’t react, and Hiccup looked away, closing his eyes. After several more seconds, panic momentarily shot through him as he felt a jaw close over his hand, but it felt very strange. His eyes snapped open as he pulled his hand out of the toothless jaws, shivering at the slimy, unsettling sensation running through his joints.

‘Ugh.’ He stared at his saliva-covered hand. ‘I think I preferred it when you actually bit me.’

Bloodshot grinned at him with amusement, which disappeared as Hiccup quickly wiped his hand on the dragon’s head. Bloodshot backpedalled and shook his head, barking with displeasure, and Hiccup grinned cheekily.

‘Hey, you’re the one who went and made this difficult. Don’t complain.’

After Bloodshot shook what saliva he could off his scales, they watched each other sadly.

‘I know you’re probably not keen on visiting… but if you miss the fish, think about it?’

Bloodshot slowly nodded his head. Hiccup returned the gesture, shifting his gaze to the final Fury.

Toothless growled sadly, stepping forward to nuzzle the Viking’s head. Hiccup quickly wrapped his arms around the dragon’s head in return, resting his head against the dragon’s.

‘Well, we did it, bud. Two of them… though we never got to that northern isle.’ As they pulled back and looked each other in the eye, he tilted his head. ‘Will you go back there? There could be more Night Furies that need your help.’

Toothless slowly inclined his head with a determined look in his large green eyes.

‘Well, if you need it, you know where to find us, alright?’

Hiccup examined the dragon for another few seconds, still resting his hand on the dragon’s dark scales.

‘Will you come and visit again? Moondust and the kids seem to like it here. They stayed here for months and seem none the worse for wear. And I’m sure Duskwing and Bloodshot would appreciate better cooking than mine.’

Toothless growled enthusiastically, and Hiccup ducked his head back before the dragon could lick him.

‘No way, bud. I need to get this beard in top shape after trudging through the wilderness for three months. No dragon saliva, please.’

He fell silent as they watched each other, sighing worriedly as he glanced around at the group.

‘We saw humans of many kinds out there. Some that didn’t care about dragons, some that did… Endre was willing to sacrifice everything so you and the others were safe. And then there are people like Grimmel…’ He hardened his gaze. ‘Toothless, it will be up to you to decide when, or even if, the dragons should ever come back. It will always be dangerous for dragons. At the same time, there will be people like me, Endre, and those at Dharcrest…’ He groaned to himself and lowered his head. ‘I can’t tell whether or not you should come back. That’s something you, and all the dragons… will have to decide for yourselves.’

Toothless lowered his gaze in momentary reflection, reluctantly pulling his head away and facing the Viking one last time.

‘Now… you can go home.’ Hiccup looked at all them with a pained smile. ‘All of you.’

The other dragons unfurled their wings and glided off the edge, Toothless the last to take off. As the others’ silhouettes disappeared into the darkening sky, Toothless hovered in place one last time, roaring into the air. Hiccup wiped his eyes and continued smiling as he waved before Toothless turned around to join his dragon pod.

Once they had truly disappeared, he continued to watch the skyline in slight disbelief. After all this time, he had finally found other Night Furies. He had done what he could; anything more would be up to them.

After a while, a thought occurred to him, and he realised he still had the dragonhide bag strapped to his outfit. He fished out the journal, staring at it with initial uneasiness, but hardened his gaze determinedly.

_There’s still one thing I need to do… so I can put this behind me once and for all._

He gripped the document tightly in his hand as he headed home for the night.

* * *

_I write these words with a heavy hand. I made it my life’s mission to destroy the Night Furies once and for all, so no village had to suffer the fate mine did. And now… it seems it is done. It has been at least five years, and I have yet to encounter or hear of a single black dragon since that large menace destroyed an unfortunate coastal village, but I could find no survivors._

_My work is complete, or is it? On the hunt is when I truly feel alive, with a sense of purpose, like I was born to do it… and despite my efforts, and initially, my village’s, I hesitated many times before delivering the final blow. It is necessary. I know it is. I_ saw _why it was. Everyone I ever knew from my childhood is dead because of them. It is because of them I am truly alone._

_I have never stopped questioning myself, even though I know I was doing the world a favour. Why can I not rid myself of my accursed doubt?_

_Perhaps it would help if there weren’t so many dragons in my sight whenever I meet with the Warlords. After our first meeting, they made it very clear that they wanted the dragons for their army, and killing them without their permission would turn them all against me. I cannot afford to have them as enemies, since my livelihood basically depends on them. The smaller villages can rarely afford my services. And eventually, another species will rise to take the Night Fury’s place, and once the trappers realise these creatures are too dangerous, they will need me again. And if they do not, they can rot and suffer the consequences._

_With all the gold, silver and steel I’ve earned over the years, I could easily retire. But then what? I have nowhere to go. I must keep the Deathgrippers ready for the next menace that comes our way._

_So… my efforts to eradicate the Night Furies proved ultimately pointless. Other dragons are still a menace, and I have no choice but to tolerate their presence. I wasted my life hunting the most dangerous of those monsters, as humans have proven too stubborn and stupid to learn from me._

_I have reached the point where there are few places I have not scoured for these monsters. One continent in particular once held my attention… However, despite years of refining my formula, I always lose control of the Deathgrippers once the temperatures drop too low. It seems the venom cannot flow properly through the blood without sufficient heat and circulation. If I were to continue my hunt in the north, I would have to do so alone, and in a boat. I entertained the idea of my death being one of pursuing them to my grave. But… I cannot commit to such a thing. Part of me, even a tiny part, believes I must survive to meet the next threat. I also realise that I’m not as young as I used to be._

_As I look through my notes, I realise I took no pleasure in actually killing these creatures when I should have. They spared my village not a second glance after burning it to the ground. And yet… I remember that first one’s eyes. Fear. I cannot help but wonder… could things have been different? For I now realise, that without these monsters, I have no reason to live. I no longer care for their victims. I never cared for those idiot warlords. I no longer care about anything… except the hunt. I must find a different target. I must… It is all I have left._

Hiccup flicked over and found only blank pages, closing the book and exhaling heavily and leaning forward in his chair, situated upon the uppermost platform of the village; the midday sun lighting up the village. For years, he always regarded the name “Grimmel the Grisly” with disdain and bitterness; the mere mention souring the mood of any conversation where he was brought up. Now… he felt little but pity and regret towards the man.

_For all your skills, your planning, your intelligence… you never could figure out the simplest thing. Dragons and humans do not need to be enemies. You were clearly upset after killing that first dragon, but the village was all too eager to heap on the praises for your deed. Maybe things_ could _have been different. You might have learned if it wasn’t for them… and by the time we met, you were too far gone. If things were different… you might have ended up with friends and family who cared for you. A lot of innocent dragons would still be alive… as well as humans._

He sat there, listening to the crackle of the fire behind him. He turned to face it, journal in hand. He was sorely tempted to toss it in, rid himself of the name Grimmel the Grisly. But he couldn’t. Pretending Grimmel never existed wouldn’t help the next generation. They needed to learn from the previous one’s mistakes… and Grimmel was, at least, aware of what his choices led to.

_I wish you could have understood, Grimmel. I wish you could have lived, if only given the chance._

He sat there sadly, the image of Endre now replacing that of Grimmel’s in his head.

_And Endre… you understood all too well._

He hadn’t discussed it with anyone yet, but he wanted to do a service for the warrior eventually. He wasn’t sure what kind of customs the warrior would have had for funerals… and probably wouldn’t care for them, now that he thought about it.

_Still, we couldn’t have saved them without him. Maybe a record of his contributions to New Berk…Fishlegs could add something under the Night Fury entry. He’s already adding more physical descriptions, after all those drawings he did._

He frowned as a faint, shrill note passed over his eardrums. He attempted to clean his ear, but the sound was growing louder. _What_ is _that?_

He stood up, glancing around the village and up at the sky.

_That sound, it’s familiar, somehow…_

It reminded him of Toothless whistling as he approached through the air. But it was heavier. And Toothless wouldn’t be coming back so soon from the Hidden world… especially from a completely different direction in which he left.

He glanced around the lower village, several other Vikings raising their heads and looking to the sky in confusion.

‘Sentries!’ Hiccup called out to the lookout towers on either side. ‘You see anything out there?’

The singular guards on each tower scanned the skies for a whole minute while the whistling only grew louder. Their eyes widened in shock as they looked up toward the east.

‘Night Fury! Get down!’

Hiccup stared up at the sky with a slack jaw. ‘What? Impossible… Toothless couldn’t…’

The villagers below were seeing something he couldn’t, as several screamed and sought cover, under their stalls or in their homes.

He began to run down the stairs frantically towards the central fire place as the whistling reached a fever pitch. An enormous shadow passed over the ground, drawing Hiccup’s gaze to a black dragon unfurling its wings as it drew closer to the ground. As it landed, Hiccup stared at the figure sitting on its flank.

_It… I must be dreaming…_

The faint smell of alcohol, sweat and dirt soon reached his nostrils. He was snapped out of his momentary stupor as the large warrior keeled over and off the dragon, Luna clattering onto the stone below. Hiccup was able to reach his side before he landed too heavily, kneeling down to support the warrior who was on all-fours.

‘Endre! Endre, speak to me!’

The warrior coughed with a dry throat, eyes glistening weakly as he looked up at the Viking.

‘M-mead…’

Hiccup couldn’t help but give a teary smile before looking up at the nearby onlookers. ‘I need a whole lot of food and water! And… fine. Some mead, too.’

Hiccup helped the warrior stumble to rest against a shaded wall. The warrior took the first mug he got and began gulping down water with loud satisfied sighs, and gobbling up the fish and bread offered by Valka ravenously. His eyes lit up as Gobber arrived with a keg of mead a minute later, who was watching the warrior with a confused twitch of his beard, while Valka studied the large man incredulously.

‘Hold on. No alcohol…’ Hiccup said firmly, still smiling… ‘until you tell me how in Odin’s name you got away from those trappers.’

Endre spoke hoarsely, but managed to get his words together after another sip of water, waving an arm loosely up at the dragon still sitting quietly upon the stone surface. ‘It was him, actually.’

Hiccup snorted. ‘I gathered that much.’

Valka had already been studying the dragon distantly, even though it showed no sign of hostility. It just finished gulping down some water from a wide trough Fishlegs had brought down, who was silently, yet obviously, screaming with joy.

‘Hiccup… I think this is…’

The dragon was large – in his sitting position, he was a good dragon’s head taller than Toothless or Bloodshot was. He had noticeably long, smooth scales running down the middle of his head and down his spine that reflected sunlight almost metallically, and his frills had a similar metallic sheen lining each of them. In addition to his frills, he had tiny spines lining the bottom edges of his jaw. However, his large green eyes stared at the crouching pair widely.

‘He swooped in and wrought havoc on those trappers,’ Endre continued, ‘and the first thing he did after we got clear of them was sniff my beard.’

Hiccup tore his eyes away to raise a confused brow. ‘That’s an odd thing to remember.’

Endre grunted in annoyance. ‘It would be, unless you remember how Toothless greeted me when I joined you…’

Hiccup eyes widened as he stroked his own beard. ‘Toothless.’

The large dragon stood up as he said the name, sniffing Hiccup closely with no regard for personal space. He growled impatiently, his wings vibrating with renewed urgency.

‘He needs to see him, Hiccup.’

‘Y-yeah, but…’ Hiccup glanced at the warrior with concern. ‘What about you? You need help…’

Endre shook his shaggy head slowly. ‘I’ll be fine. Food and mead is all I need.’ His eyes widened as he gagged slightly, quickly reaching to fill his mug from the mead barrel. ‘Oh, those heights were not good to me…’

Valka cleared his throat as she examined the warrior with disapproval. ‘Endre, is it? You could do with a good wash and shave as well, I think…’

The warrior gagged and spat out his mead upon directly looking at her. Gobber could only stare at the spilt foamy liquid with dismay.

‘Ey! Look at it all go! So much fer gratitude!’

Valka nodded to Hiccup with a smile, and he returned the gesture, returning his focus to the dragon. ‘Alright, follow me!’

He ran as fast as he could to the landing peninsula, and Fishlegs was able to finally let out the words he’d kept pent up.

‘It’s a Titan Wing! Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods–‘

The dragon easily kept up with Hiccup, and regarded him patiently all the way despite the Viking’s handicap. They stopped before the edge, and Hiccup pointed out to the horizon with an outstretched arm, pointing exactly where he last saw Toothless disappear into the night sky.

‘You’ll want to head southwest, and it will take a few hours if you fly at normal speed.’ He glanced up at the dragon worriedly. ‘But you’ve barely been here a few minutes! Are you sure you don’t want to stay and rest?’

The dragon silently inclined his head with a thankful gaze before launching himself off the edge and whistling through air as fast his wings could carry him. Hiccup stared at the dark shrinking shape and smiled.

_Well, bud… there’s another for you. And I think you’ll really like this one._

* * *

The Titan Fury sailed through the foggy sky, following the same direction where he could along with the scent of his fellow dragons, faint as it was on the wind. The fog grew thicker, but he pushed on despite the building moisture in his eyes, as the distant sound of roaring water drew him in.

He glided close to the relatively calm surface of the ocean until he spotted a break in the surface ahead, lowering himself onto the flat rock surfaces littered with eroded holes. He sniffed the ground closely for a while, as the scent was growing stronger. However, the rocks did not extend far, and after searching the area briefly, he unfurled his wings and flapped them repeatedly to clear some of the fog, and roared into the sky loudly. There was no response.

Unperturbed, he took off towards the roaring water, circling carefully to dive into the large cavernous opening. He quickly pulled up as the water ended, rising up and flapping to ascend into the glowing caverns, marked by a moving fireworm flock. They darted out of his way as he pushed through unflinchingly.

Large pods of dragons of all shapes and sizes darted out of his way the moment they spotted his eyes and silver scales. Several large Monstrous Nightmares were unlucky enough to be flying directly in his path, and they growled suspiciously at the new arrival while hovering in place. The Titan Fury did not slow down, and when it was clear the Nightmares were not budging, he opened his jaw to unleash a triple plasma blast, the projectiles detonating side by side in the air. The impact stunned the Nightmares long enough for them to drop out of his path, and they shrieked after him with displeasure as he passed overhead.

After seeing that display, the other dragons steered clear of him. The scent was growing stronger, and he followed a winding path through the tunnels until he found an enormous cavern, with a large white dome at its centre. He circled around to land on the top, ignoring the thousands of eyes now upon him. Most of the observing dragons kept their distance. However, a dozen or so Light Furies couldn’t help but study him curiously and begin to hover forward to get a closer look. The Titan sniffed again, glancing around the immediate area. His target was close by.

He made his way down the slope of the crystalline structure, which gradually flattened and widened towards a series of caves, the openings scattered into the thick, dark surface of the obsidian rock.

One of the openings was well lit from incoming sunlight, and the Titan followed his nose towards it. However, he noticed another dragon standing guard just outside the entrance, and another pair of eyes watching him from a stone pillar jutting out of the crystal not too far from him. Duskwing watched the newcomer with fascination from atop the pillar, having watched his progress since he landed. Bloodshot, however, quickly raised his wings and lowered his head, stepping out to block the entrance and growling at the intruder.

The Titan tilted his head curiously at the Blood Fury, his gaze focusing on the open cavern behind him. Bloodshot continued to snarl at him, but the Titan responded by sitting and watching the cavern patiently, and ignoring the threatening display before him.

It wasn’t long before Bloodshot caught the attention of the cave’s residents. The Night and Light Fury emerged with the Night Lights lagging behind. Toothless’ eyes widened at the newcomer, studying him closely and sniffing, while Moondust remained behind and the Night Lights cowered behind her. The Titan Fury’s frills flicked as his eyes lit up with approval upon examining them. Toothless’ frills perked up for a moment, giving Bloodshot a calming growl. The Blood Fury reluctantly stood aside to let the two dragons sniff as they stepped towards each other.

After another minute of sniffing, Toothless’ eyes widened in shock as he was frozen to the spot. The Titan lowered his head, growling sadly in response. When he looked up at the Night Fury again, the dragon’s eyes were glistening as he stepped closer, and slowly lowered his head to nuzzle the Titan’s neck. He crooned gratefully, slowly wrapping his head and opposing wing around Toothless.

The Night Lights slowly emerged from behind their mother to watch them curiously, and one after the other, began to chirp happily as loudly as they could. Moondust watched them for a moment, and after studying her mate again, her eyes lit up, and she screeched into the air. She and Duskwing looked to Bloodshot next, who growled in annoyance for a second before joining in. One by one, the surrounding Light Furies and Night Furies joined in the celebration of one of their own returning… their triumphant cries echoing throughout the endless caverns of the Hidden World.


End file.
